Beyond Duty
by Caneeltje
Summary: Booth, Brennan and their children have started a new life in DC. They are a tight family, but a new case is about to shake things up. What does life have in store for them next? And what happens when their daughter seems to be involved in drugs? Sequel to Beyond the Masquerade. Regular updates guaranteed!
1. Prologue

Dear readers, welcome to the sequel of Beyond the Masquerade: Beyond Duty! We give you the prologue and from now on will try to uphold a twice-a-week updating schedule. We're very excited to have you back, and if you're new, this story can be read independently from Beyond the Masquerade. We hope you'll be enjoying this one!

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**Prologue**

Booth had always been a light sleeper, so when his Bones groaned in pain, he woke up instantly. Immediately, he was on high alert. Their son should've been born two days ago, but still there had been no sign of his pending arrival. He was starting to think that his little guy preferred to stay warm and safe in his mother's belly as opposed to braving the big bad world and meeting his father and his sister. Booth rolled over and turned the lights on. "Bones? Darling, is this it?"

During the pregnancy, Booth, at times, had had a hard time of enjoying it to the fullest when he was constantly reminded that he had no idea what it had been like when Brennan - whom he had thought of as his Captain back then – had been pregnant with their daughter, Elena. Booth and Brennan had slept with each other just once, going on pure attraction since they didn't even know each other's names. Unfortunately – or fortunately – there'd been a misunderstanding about birth control, and Brennan had become pregnant. By that time, though, Booth had left campus to take care of his old grandfather Pops who had fallen very ill. It wasn't until four years later, after graduating from the police academy, that Booth looked for Brennan again. He hadn't been able to forget about her, the girl dressed as a pirate captain, but when he finally found her, he was received by her family with hostility. Eventually, Booth learned that he had a little girl, and found that Brennan wanted to get to know him. Slowly but surely, they'd become a family. Threats against their family had forced them to relocate to Washington DC, and they'd built up another life for themselves.

Since Elena was almost eight years old now, she had become curious like her father, and a family tradition had begun. Every night, Brennan would talk to him and their daughter about what it had been like to be pregnant. To feel Elena's kick for the first time, to talk to her late at night, to look at her tummy while she was in the bathtub and see all of the little signs that her daughter was safely inside of her womb. A few days ago, Brennan had started to talk about what the actual birth had been like and the amazing fact that the joy of having Elena in her arms had done a lot to diminish the physical pain she had been in.

Booth sat upright and took his love's hand in his. "It started, didn't it?" They had decided that she was going to give birth to their son in a hospital and so for the last month a packed duffle bag had taken up residence in their bedroom. And Booth had a feeling that it would finally be used tonight.

Brennan squeezed his hand and nodded. Finally, it was going to happen. Booth had been anxious the past days, well, probably for the past nine months. He was so sweet, so good to her. She was going to miss his massages, the foods he kept bringing home to her, how they did the chores together and Elena loved to help, but only if her daddy was helping, too. She'd become a real daddy's girl, but Brennan didn't mind. She still had a special relationship with her daughter, formed in the first four years of Elena's life, and they both knew it would last forever. Even though it had been eight years, Brennan remembered the pain that came from giving birth. She knew that these contractions were only the beginning. She squeezed Booth's hand harder. "Stay with me," she asked him like she'd asked her brother to stay eight years ago.

"Of course." Booth pressed his lips to her cheek and pulled back a little, so he could look into her eyes. "I'm staying close to you. Are you having a contraction?" Now, he could see that it had been a wise decision to have Elena stay the night at Angela and Jack's place, with their little boy Michael Vincent.

"I can handle these. The scary part comes later," she whispered as she rolled onto her side and drew up her knees a little.

"I'm taking you to the hospital before it gets worse, so they can definitely get you some pain relief," Booth promised her. "Can you stand?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah, I think so."

Booth went to put sneakers on and got his coat. He took her coat and a pair of sneakers with him as he returned to the bedroom. Booth helped her to put them on. Then, he grabbed the duffle and helped her to stand.

"If they don't give me something for the pain, I'm not giving birth. Remember to tell them that, okay?" Brennan emphasised as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Yes, darling," he soothed her as he helped her down the stairs, out of the house and into the car. Her words were highly illogical and irrational of course, but he could only imagine the pain she was going to be facing. And she had first-hand experience. He turned the sirens on and sped towards the hospital.

"Russ didn't have sirens," Brennan remarked with a pained smile, "I'm afraid I wasn't too nice to him in the car."

"That would only have been understandable," Booth smiled at her. "Hang in there, I'm almost at the hospital. Does it feel like you remember?" he asked her curiously.

"No, Elena was worse." As soon as she'd finished her sentence, she moaned as another contraction hit her. She clenched her jaw, having vowed to be nicer to the man accompanying her this time.

Maybe it wasn't as bad as she remembered because she wasn't as far along as she had been with Elena's labour. She'd been so fast.

Booth parked the car in front of the emergency entrance and when two nurses spotted him, he got out of the car. "My wife is in labour!" A wheelchair appeared and Booth encouraged Brennan to sit down in it. "I have to go park the car, darling. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. "I'll wait here." She didn't want them to get separated, and what she really didn't want was for her to be taken away and for him not to be able to find her as a consequence.

Booth managed to park the car nearby. Once the vehicle came to a standstill, he got out, grabbed the bag and hurriedly locked the doors. He ran over to his wife in the wheelchair and took over from the nurses, wheeling her inside himself.

The nurse showed the way to a room where Brennan could wait in privacy until she'd be ready to go to the delivery room. Booth helped her on the bed and took off her shoes. When he straightened, she suddenly felt a rush of love for him and pulled him closer, kissing him.

Booth embraced her tenderly and returned her kiss. "I'm here," he promised her. "You won't be alone this time. I'm here to help. Whatever you need, just tell me and I'll get it for you." He helped her out of her coat and kicked his own shoes off, putting his coat over hers. "Do you want me on the bed with you? Or do you need space?"

"No, come," she said and lay down, reaching for him. On the one hand, she was afraid of the pain, but on the other, she knew what she could expect and Booth was here. She trusted that things would be okay.

"How about that massage, Bones? You know? For your lower back?" It had helped in the past. Their birthing coach had told him it was his job to take care of mom while she was delivering the baby, so she could focus on her job. And he fully intended to take good care of her. "What do you think? Do you want me to try?"

She pulled him in for another kiss. "Thank you." She loved his massages; also, she knew he needed to have something to do. He hadn't done this before and he was nervous.

Booth lay down behind her and the comforting familiarity that came with the soothing, gentle motions of his hands on her lower back, managed to lower his anxiety. He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck and whispered softly, "Does this help, Bones?"

"It feels nice," she said as she breathed out. Another contraction hit and she practised the breathing from birthing class as Booth's warm hands tried to give her some comfort. "Elena was so fast," she said after the contraction passed, "I have a feeling this one's going to take much longer."

"I can call a nurse and check on the painkillers? When they will bring you one?" Booth continued his massage. "I hate seeing you in pain like this, Brenn," he told her quietly as he pressed the red nurse's button.

"You'll be seeing me in a lot more pain, believe me," she groaned. "Whatever offensive things I may say to you then, just ignore them. I genuinely hated you when I was pushing Elena out," she teased him, mustering a smile.

"I can tolerate a few hours of being insulted in exchange for a beautiful baby boy and a healthy, happy mommy," he told her as he continued his massage. "And you know, they will be giving you something for the pain, so it won't be as bad as when Elena was born."

"I really hope so." Then, she thought of something. "Booth, are you afraid of blood? Because if you are, you shouldn't look past my waist. It could get messy and I need you. You can't faint."

"I'm a cop. I've seen my fair share of blood. However..." he didn't really think he would ever be able to get the image of her lady parts out of his mind if he saw that during the birth, so he said, "I don't think I'm going to - uhm - " he blushed, "take a look, if you don't mind."

Brennan grinned. "I didn't think you would." She enjoyed fifteen minutes of bliss as she didn't have another contraction. She could take these ones, and they ended up lasting hours. Eventually, she even wished they would get stronger. She was getting tired and she wanted to use all of her power to push the baby out. When the intervals between contractions were decreasing, and she was becoming more dilated, she was given her pain medication. At this point, they'd been at the hospital for ten hours, and she was taking short naps in Booth's arms between contractions. She was in pain, but it was just manageable.

Hours and hours and hours had passed and they fell into an uncomfortable routine of sleeping for fifteen to twenty minutes, before a contraction demanded her attention. Booth was worried. Especially since Elena's birth had been so swift. He was reassured time and time again that this was normal - if somewhat unexpected - but that every childbirth was different. Her contractions were getting closer together and with it, his nervousness and anxiety increased. She was given the pain medication and he held her to him when she was given the okay to lay down again. "Things will start getting better now, Brenn," he reassured her as he held her against his chest, combing his fingers through her hair.

Brennan closed her eyes and sank into him again after another contraction. He was a bit silly for saying it would get better, because even with the pain medication giving her about two percent relief, things would only get worse until the baby and the placenta were out of her body. "I need it to go faster," she mumbled. "I've had enough."

"You're doing great," he told her. "I'm very proud of you. And I must admit, I don't think I could do what you're doing. Maybe we should walk around? Do you think that might help to speed it up?"

"Worth a try, I guess," she agreed. Booth got out of the bed first, and then helped her get her feet on the floor. She cringed. "Gravity's definitely working," she groaned, and when after a few steps she got another contraction, she wrapped her arms around Booth's neck and he held her up. "I want to keep standing as long as possible," she said, hoping it would speed things up.

Booth widened his stance a bit and wrapped his arms around her, their baby boy cradled safely between them. "You can lean on me," Booth reassured her.

It appeared the plan was working, and one hour later, things were finally starting to move faster. Brennan lay back down on the bed, a sheen of sweat covering her body. She'd been in pain for so long, she just wanted it to end. "I feel I need to push," she told Booth, and hoped the midwife would agree.

While they were standing, Booth had been rocking them back and forth a bit, the continuous motion helping her through the pain. She trembled and groaned in pain as he held her and he did his best to comfort her. When the midwife had entered an hour later, she'd raised an eyebrow, but hadn't commented. Now that Brennan was lying down, Booth clasped her hand in his. When she told him that she needed to push, he spared a glance at the midwife, who smiled and nodded. "Yes, my dear, it's almost time to push."

As a nurse came in to move her to the delivery room, the midwife continued to talk. "You know how this goes, but I'll repeat it for you. Wait for the contraction to push. Use it. When the contraction is over, relax and wait for the next one."

Brennan nodded her head. She wasn't able to speak anymore, she needed all of her energy for this. When she was given the okay, she started pushing, the pain ripping through her body. If she'd have had the energy, she would have screamed her lungs out. Her body was weakened from the long twelve hours of being in labour, and she noticed that she wasn't pushing with the power she'd had with Elena. But then, she'd taken only a few hours. This was quite another story. Booth was looking a bit pale and helpless, but he supported her very well. When she thought she would faint from the pain, she finally felt the head pop out, and on the next push, the shoulders and body followed. Completely exhausted, she fell back into the pillows as sharp cries filled the room.

"Oh, Bones," Booth leaned down and kissed her cheek several times."I'm so, so proud of you. Look, look what you did, there he is, our boy." The baby boy was placed on his mommy's soft breasts and Booth held him in place as Brennan tiredly opened her eyes.

She looked at her son and tears gathered in her eyes. The worst was over, now, and their baby was beautiful. The pain lessened as an endorphin rush washed over her. She'd only felt this once before, and that was when Elena had been placed on her chest. She raised her head so she could kiss her son's head. Then, she looked up at Booth and smiled weakly, but happily.

"He's perfect, Brenn," Booth sighed and smiled happily. "Thomas Henry Booth. Welcome to the world, son. You're very lucky. You'll have the best mom ever."

It was so nice to have Booth here, the father of her baby. She was lucky to have shared this experience with the two most important men in her life. She'd ask Booth to call Russ in a minute.

The midwife interrupted. "Honey, can you push again? You'll stop bleeding once the placenta's out."

Booth frowned. He knew that the placenta would have to follow, but not that she'd continue to bleed until she had pushed that out of her body as well. Gently, his son was lifted from his mother's chest and he reached for her hand. "You can do this, Brenn. Once you're done, we can go back to your room and hold our son."

_Where does she want me to get the energy from?_ Brennan thought desperately. She felt too weak to push again, but tried her best.

"It's taking too long, dear, I really need you to push for me, now," the midwife told her a bit worriedly.

"Come on, Brenn." Booth cupped her cheek in his palm and tilted her chin, so he could look into her eyes. "You're bleeding. I know you're tired. I know you want to stop, but that's not an option right now. Thomas and Elena need their mom. Come on," he spoke a bit more determined. "You can do this. I know you can. I'm so proud of you." He leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "Push, darling."

"Do it yourself," she groaned and then put all of her willpower in another push.

"Good job!" the midwife told her and pulled the placenta out of her. "I'll have someone clean up and I'm going to have a chat with the doctor. I believe you're a borderline blood transfusion."

But Brennan hardly heard her. She felt nauseous and ready to faint. All she could do was lie very still with her eyes closed.

"Hang on," Booth whispered as he managed to somehow reign in the panic that was starting to build inside of him. "You did it. You'll be fine. Just stay with me, darling." Booth murmured as he continued to hold her hand. Every second felt like an hour and by the time the midwife came back, it was nearly impossible to not snap. "That sure took long enough. Does she need a blood transfusion? Will she be okay? What's happening to her? Somebody talk to me!"

"Given her age and good health, we've decided not to do the transfusion," the midwife told them. "She'll likely be very weak for a couple of days, but once she's eaten and feels a bit better, you can take her home."

Booth looked at his partner, who was extremely weak and pale. "No," he shook his head. "I think you should do a blood transfusion. We're the same blood type. You can use my blood."

"The doctor would like to wait a few hours, at least until after she's eaten. A nurse will come check on her every fifteen minutes. You don't have to worry, we're keeping a close eye on her."

"Will she be able to nurse?" Booth asked the midwife. They had discussed it and she was keen on breastfeeding their son, just like she'd done for their daughter.

"Yes, she's allowed to do anything she feels up to," the midwife answered as a nurse started cleaning up the blood. "You know what, there's blood on the bed, so we're going to transfer her to a clean one. I'll take care of it right away. Any more questions at this point?"

"Yes, where is our boy? Is everything okay with him? I want him in the room with us," Booth insisted as he held onto Brennan's hand. He was scared and overwhelmed and he wanted his family where he could see them.

"He's perfectly healthy. I'll have him brought here," the midwife assured the new dad.

He nodded. "Now, tell me how I can help you." The nurse had finished cleaning Brennan up and Booth was anxious to get her into her bed so that she could eat, rest and recover.

The midwife signalled to a nurse in the hallway and a clean bed was brought in. "You can transfer her if you want. Otherwise, I'll call more nurses to help."

"No, I'll do it," he turned to his pale partner. "Darling?" his voice was soothing and warm. "Can you open your eyes, Brenn?"

She'd let Booth take care of everything. Now that he was addressing her, she listened more carefully. She opened her eyes and looked at him. She wanted her baby.

He could see that longing in her eyes and he caressed her cheek with his thumb. "He's happy. He'll be brought to your room. Can you wrap your arms around my neck, Brenn?"

She nodded and lifted her arms. They felt so heavy. She was glad he was close to her.

Booth carefully pushed his arms underneath her knees and her back, lifting her into his embrace. He lowered her down on the clean bed and kissed her temple. "Let's go and get our boy, darling." He helped the midwife push the bed back to her room, giving the midwife a look that said he needed his son. His wife needed their little boy.

As Brennan's bed was installed, the crib was wheeled inside as well. Brennan smiled as she heard her baby crying still. The boy had good lungs!

Booth walked over to the crib and lifted his baby into his arms. "There, there," he soothed his youngest. "Mommy is right here." Booth kissed the baby's soft cheeks, inhaling his baby scent as the midwife and nurse finally left the family to themselves. Booth sat down on the edge of the bed. "See? There's your mommy."

Brennan lifted her arm and rested her hand on Booth's leg so she could play with her baby boy's little fingers. "You should start calling everyone," Brennan spoke in a soft voice.

Booth looked at her. "Are you sure you're ready for that? You look really pale, darling," he told her worriedly.

"It'll make me feel better," she assured him. "Can I feed him yet?"

"The midwife said you can do anything you feel up to, so if you want to, I think you can. Although you should probably have something to eat first, before you feed this little guy."

"I don't want to wait," she told him as she started to sit up a bit more. "This is the best feeling in the world," she smiled as she bared one breast.

"Okay," Booth agreed, as he stood and sat down by her side. "But I'm helping." Gently, he helped her to sit up, then handed her their little boy. He sat on the bed behind her and guided her back down, so her back was resting against his chest. He then supported her arms with his own as she held their son. Booth knew she was exhausted and weak and he didn't want her to have to focus on anything else except on the feeling of their baby boy nursing for the first time. So he held her to his chest and he held Thomas up as he watched this little miracle unfold in his own arms.

Brennan contently leaned against his chest. It felt like they were feeding their baby together. "I love you, Booth," she said as she pressed a kiss to his arm next to her.

"And I love you, Brenn," he said softly as he kissed her shoulder tenderly, "And everything that you've given me in the eight years since I've met you." When Thomas was fed and burped, he fell asleep in his mother's arms. Booth reached for his cell phone and looked at it. "Who do you want to call first?"

"Angela," she said without hesitation, "To let Elena know she has a brother. Then, Russ, my dad, Hank, Jared, and I can't think any further than that."

Booth kissed her cheek. "Perfect."

"We have a big family, now," Brennan smiled as she caressed Thomas' cheek. "This baby was born into a loving, safe life."

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That was the prologue! Will Elena love her little brother or have difficulty sharing the attention? Will their family continue to be safe and loving? Stay tuned for chapter 1 and let us know what you thought of the birth of a new family member!


	2. Chapter 1

Thanks so much to all of you who read and reviewed! We're excited to post the first chapter of this sequel - you know us, we like to skip a few years. We hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter 1**

As Booth was glazing the onions to later stew the beans, he wondered what the right moment would be. The right timing to bring up the fact that Cullen had come into his office with a high-profile case. A decomposed body - well, basically the skeleton - had been found in a West-Virginia playground. He had been given the case and one look earlier that day at the crime scene, told him everything he needed to know. He needed specialised help. Only the help that his partner could give him. He needed a forensic anthropologist, and she was the best.

He stirred the onions again and let his mind sift through the memories of the last eight years. Eight years since his son, Thomas Henry Booth had been born. A lot had happened since then. Brennan was enjoying her job as the Senior Physical Anthropologist at the Jeffersonian. People from all over the world came to DC, just to hear her speak. Every holiday they had ever taken as a family had been close to a dig, so she could both relax and work and Booth could play with their kids on the beach or explore the area with them.

He himself had been accepted into the FBI and had been climbing the ladder as well, taking university courses along the way to get his degree in Criminology. He was one of the Senior Agents in the Homicide Division and his name was whispered in the hallways whenever the topic of the new Deputy Director came up. And he was doing everything he could to get that job. He loved the fieldwork, but being a cop - or an Agent - wasn't without danger.

He reached for the beans and dumped them in. A few years ago, a liaison had started between the FBI and the Medico-Legal Lab at the Jeffersonian. Brennan had assisted on some cases, mostly cold ones. Booth knew she'd been nicknamed 'the Icequeen' by several of his colleagues, and not because she worked cold cases. Not that they would ever say that around him. Booth resented it, but couldn't change it.

So, now, here he was, standing in his kitchen, stewing beans, wondering when it would be the right time to ask her to help him. He poured in some water and came to the realisation that there simply wasn't a right time to ask her this, so he decided to just go ahead and jump into the conversation. "Bones? I have to ask you something."

Brennan looked up from her anthropology journal. The tone of his voice implied that it was a question about something big, something she might not be willing to agree to. She glanced at the clock. Less than half an hour before the kids would be home. Thomas was at Jack and Angela's, playing with his best friend Michael Vincent. He'd be walked home by Jack and Michael. Elena went straight to gymnastics practice after school almost every day; it was still her passion and her teammates were her best friends. "Okay, what do you need?" she finally answered Booth's question, "Is something wrong?"

"I was assigned to a new case today," Booth told her carefully. "The skeletal remains that were found in the playground?" He looked up at her. "I know we've discussed this before, but our ME really isn't specialised enough for these kinds of cases, Bones." They had discussed this before and they had decided that they wouldn't work together on cases to avoid the possibility of being targeted by criminals, but he had to ask.

Brennan replied immediately. "The answer is no, Booth. If we're working the same case, both of us have to testify, which means both of us could be targeted. Your job is dangerous enough, we can't run the risk of orphaning our children." She got up from the couch, took a cutting board and started slicing vegetables.

"Bones." Booth stirred their dinner again. "I'm not asking you to start working with me full time. Just this one case. My ME flat out told me that she wouldn't be able to find cause of death for this victim. I have a duty as an Agent to the public. I owe it to his family to do whatever I can to figure out what happened."

But Brennan wouldn't budge. "There's another forensic anthropologist in Canada. I can give you her e-mail address so you can ask if she has time to look into your case." Brennan felt adamant about this. She refused to do anything that might end up harming her children.

"Come on, Brenn. You know how bad my French is," he tried to approach it lightly, for one last try. "The only thing I know how to say is _voulez-vous couchez avec moi?_" he teased, using the full power of his charm smile.

Brennan couldn't help but chuckle at that. "She's a lesbian, Booth. Good luck with that."

Booth made a face for a moment and continued with dinner. "Fine, Bones. I'll contact your colleague in Canada. Or maybe better," he glanced at her, "I'll let Agent Shaw do it."

Brennan laughed. Agent Shaw was an attractive female agent Booth sometimes worked with. "Who knows, we could be invited to their wedding some time from now," she smiled.

"I don't think so. She already has a kid and rumour has it that she has a bun in the oven." Booth dared to leave the beans on their own for a moment and embraced his partner. "How about you? Would you like another bun in the oven? I mean, we are still young enough to go for it," he smiled. "Elena is a darling daughter and Thomas is a sensitive son. I think we hit the jackpot. Twice. How about another go?"

"If we do, we can't still be working this much, Booth. I want to have time for my children," Brennan answered him rationally as she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned into him. She loved him just as much as more than fifteen years ago, when Elena was conceived.

"You're right," he hugged her to him and sighed a bit. "You're always right." The back door opened and Jack, Michael and Thomas walked in.

Thomas smiled at his parents and instead of commenting on the fact that they were hugging and kissing and doing 'lovey-dovey stuff' as his sister called it, he just smiled and walked over to them, wrapping his arms around both of his parents. "Hi Mommy. Hi Daddy."

Jack smiled and motioned to the back door, "Uhm, we're leaving 'cause Ange wants to go out to dinner and she told me in no uncertain terms to be home on time. So, bye! See you tomorrow, Tommy!"

Thomas smiled and waved at them. "Bye, Michael! Bye, Uncle Jack!"

"Hi, sweetheart," Brennan said as she wrapped her arm around her son's back and kissed the top of his head. "Did you have fun? Are you still working on the tree house with Uncle Jack?"

"Yes, Mommy. Today Aunt Angela and I went shopping after school! She wanted me to help her pick out the colours. We had a lot of fun today."

"It's always fun with Angela," Brennan smiled, "I agree. If you want, you can still practise your music. Elena isn't home yet and dinner won't be ready for another ten minutes."

As much as Elena loved doing sports, Thomas loved music. He'd been asking for lessons for almost a year before they finally caved in and got him a keyboard for his seventh birthday. Hank and Jared had donated the first six months of piano lessons and Thomas couldn't be happier with them. He practised loyally, every day, until his sister would come in demanding he stop. Thomas had an uncanny talent for always staying calm and forgiving when Elena was in a difficult mood, he wasn't pushed off balance easily.

"Oh great!" Thomas wrapped his arms around his mother's waist and smiled up at her. "I want to give you a kiss first," he told her with a wide smile, "Because I love you!"

Brennan chuckled and let go of Booth to wrap her arms around her son and kiss him. "I love you, too, sweetheart."

Thomas turned around and lifted his arms as he stood in front of his dad. "I love you, too, Daddy."

Booth laughed and lifted his son into his arms, giving him a big kiss on his cheek. "I love you too, buddy." He put his son down. "Why don't you go practise your music?"

Brennan watched with a smile as their little boy ran off to his room. Their Tommy was a delight to everyone around him. He hadn't experienced any rough times like Elena had. His life had been peaceful and happy, he hadn't known any different. His biggest challenge was dealing with his sister's temper, and even that left him virtually unfazed. In fact, he was Elena's biggest fan, and Elena did adore her little brother.

Booth watched his son bounce up the stairs and smiled. "Our little boy is going to be a man to be very proud of."

"He'll be a reliable and kind one. Just like mine," Brennan smiled and rested her head on Booth's shoulder.

Booth kissed the top of her head and hugged her to him as the first few notes of music drifted downstairs. He moved the beans off of the hot cooker and took her in his arms. "Dance with me."

"It's always dangerous to dance with you," Brennan grinned, but her hand was already in his.

Booth wiggled his eyebrows and leaned in to kiss his wife. "Maybe you're the one I should be asking to _couchez avec moi?_" he teased, "Maybe I can even..." his hand slid down to her lower back and slipped underneath her shirt, "change your mind?" He was teasing, though. She had made up her mind and he wouldn't try to persuade her and she knew that.

"You can certainly try," she chuckled as she pushed her hips forward into his. "I don't think I'll mind you trying at all."

"Mmm," Booth hummed and kissed her again. "I'll certainly keep on trying then," he murmured. They were interrupted when the back door was slammed open. They looked up and saw their daughter entering their home.

"Hello," Elena said as she walked in the door, her step determined and quick. She glanced at her parents, noticing her father's hand up her mother's shirt and their intimate embrace. "Aaaaand goodbye," she said, trying to keep from laughing at her parents. With a roll of her eyes she walked through the kitchen and went upstairs. She was in a bad mood and she knew where to find her brother. "Tommy, I've heard this tune a million times," Elena sighed dramatically as she walked into her brother's room. She wrapped her arms around Thomas and pressed kisses to his cheek. She pulled the crunchy out of her hair and shook her head to free her dark curls. "I'm so tired," she groaned as she pulled her brother off his stool and put him down in his bed before collapsing next to him and drawing him into her arms.

Thomas cuddled up to his sister and reached for his blanket. "Then you have to sleep, Elena," he told her and covered them both with the blanket.

"I'd love to, but I have homework and we have to eat. Mom and Dad are being lovey-dovey again, so I had to flee the kitchen," Elena chuckled.

"I like it when they kiss and hold each other. It means they love each other, right?" He pressed himself closer to her. "I love you, too. So, I hug you," Thomas said matter-of-factly.

Elena laughed despite her bad mood. "I love you, too, little brother." She squeezed him until he started to protest. "Sorry. I can't help being the strongest sister on the planet."

"No, you can't. You should go and show Dad that you're the strongest daughter on the planet." Thomas chuckled and a smile lit up his eyes. "We can invent a game together." Thomas was really liking this idea. "Next time when Mom and Dad get all lovey-dovey, we could sneeze, or count, or high five or something." He loved it when he got to play these little games with his sister. She was the best one to have on your team.

"We could demand one quarter of a dog for every time we catch them," Elena suggested, loving the gleam in her brother's eyes. He was so easily made happy, it was ridiculous.

"Oh, yes, yes! But we have to be smart, Elena, we can't let them know why we are counting or they will stop and I really - really - really want a puppy! Will you help me?" Thomas sat up on his knees, a big, wide smile around his lips and a twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, of course I will," Elena said and sat upright to give her brother a hug. "I smell food, let's go see if we can eat yet."

He hugged her like only a little brother could and asked quietly, "Are you still tired and sad?"

"I wasn't sad, I was upset because practice was terrible. I just didn't have the energy today and I drove my coach desperate because I didn't want to climb the rope. I did apologise afterwards, of course."

"That's good," Thomas told her. "Dad said you should apologise when you've been rude to someone." He took her hand. "Come on! I'm hungry!"

Booth looked up when his two hungry kids came down the stairs, holding hands. "Great timing! Dinner's ready," Booth smiled at their kids as he started to serve their dinner.

Thomas and Elena sat down and Brennan rounded the table to kiss her daughter. "How was today, honey?"

Elena kissed her mother's cheek. "Awful!" she exclaimed and fell back in her chair.

Brennan stroked Elena's curls and scooped some food onto her plate. "We'd love to hear all about it," Brennan smiled patiently as she sat down in her chair.

Elena dug in and had a few bites of food before answering. "I'm hungry," she explained and swallowed her last bite. "So there's this new guy at school," she began, secretly observing her father to see if he'd panic. "He's older than I am," she added for effect.

Booth frowned and focussed his attention on his little girl as the hairs on the back of his neck started to rise. "Go on, princess," Booth encouraged her, his appetite momentarily forgotten.

Elena chuckled. "Don't worry, Dad, I hate the guy. I'm not dating anyone. I don't like any of the boys in school, or outside of school, and I won't like them at least until I'm eighteen." She couldn't contain her laughter, then heaved a miserable sigh. "You guys, I was supposed to be sulking because I had a crappy day, not laughing."

"Darling, what happened?" Booth was a father who naturally worried, and he liked that his relationship with his daughter was good enough for her to always come to him with problems.

"Well, there is a new guy, apparently, because I've never seen him before in school. There's also this other boy, Toby, and I know he gets bullied sometimes. I saw the new guy bumping into him so all of Toby's books fell. I immediately went up to him - I'll just call him Loser - and I told him to pick up Toby's books. Loser gave me a big mouth and then he walked away, so I picked up Toby's books for him. Then, we had the last period and I went to practice with Louisa, and I couldn't do anything today. I even refused to climb the rope."

Booth's worry increased slightly. His daughter didn't like the rope, but she'd never flat out refused it. "I'm sorry you had a bad day, honey. Next time if you see him being rude, tell a teacher."

"Next time I could also just kick his butt," Elena grinned.

"Elena Angela Booth!" Her father looked at her. "You do not solve things by getting into a fight and you know that, young lady," he told her sternly.

Elena rolled her eyes. "I was kidding, Dad, I know that. But it's fine, Tommy already made me feel better while the two of you were, well, my brother's under-age, so I won't describe it."

Brennan chuckled. "I'd like to see how you feel once you have a boyfriend, Elena."

Elena made a face. "Never. I'm married to gymnastics."

Tommy saw that his dad was about to say something but he intervened. "Dad?" he asked sweetly, "Were you and mom being lovey-dovey?"

Booth chuckled. "Not you, too, Tommy."

Thomas saw his chance, though. "No! No! I like it. It means you love Mom to the stars and back, doesn't it, Dad?"

Booth nodded. "Yes, buddy, I do."

Thomas turned to his mom. "Do you love Dad to the stars and back, too?"

"Yes, I do," Brennan confirmed without hesitation.

"Then you should be lovey-dovey right now!" Thomas told his parents, feeling very sneaky. He really wanted a puppy.

Brennan frowned. "Okay..." She glanced at Booth. What was with their children today?

Booth looked over at his partner and leaned across the table, cupping her cheek, then he kissed her lovingly on the cheek.

Thomas waited and then he counted out loud. "One!"

"One quarter, Tommy," Elena corrected him, smiling.

Booth realised that something was up. "One quarter what, Elena?"

Elena chuckled. "Talk to Tommy about it."

"Tommy? One quarter what?" Booth asked his son, who got out of his chair and walked over to him, crawling onto his lap. "One quarter of a puppy, Dad."

Booth laughed in confusion. "A puppy? We're not getting a dog." He looked up at Brennan, wondering if she knew something about this.

"Did you make this up yourself, Tommy?" Brennan inquired, signalling to Booth that she didn't know what was going on, either.

"Awe, come on, Dad. Tommy really wants a puppy. We could both take care of it, I'll help him," Elena stood up for her little brother. "Look at his precious little face," she chuckled, "How can you resist that?"

"We don't have time for a dog, guys. We've been over this before. Who will walk the dog? Feed him? Bathe him? Clean its paws? Pick up the poop? I would have to do it, so, sorry, guys. We're not getting a dog."

"You know what we should do?" Elena suddenly had an idea. "We should talk Grandpa Max into getting a dog so we can walk it."

"You have to talk that one over with your grandfather," Booth told them. "Now, for tricking us into almost getting you a dog, I think the two of you should clear the table and do the dishes. I'll get started on dessert. Pudding for everyone!"

"Dad, can I please just clear the table today? I have a lot of homework and I want to go to bed early," Elena asked her father.

Booth could see that she wasn't trying to simply get out of doing her chores. She actually looked tired. "Okay, but you're coming down to have your dessert with us. Deal, princess?"

Elena finished her food and stood up, pressing a kiss to both her father's and mother's cheeks. "You're still the best parents ever. Even if we don't get a dog."

"And you," Booth pulled her back to him as he circled his arms around her, "are still the best daughter ever," he gently pushed her hair away from her eyes, "Even when you try to trick us into giving you guys a dog."

Elena chuckled. "Hey, if the little guy asks me something, there's nothing I can do but tend to his every need. You're the ones who made him so cute I can't resist him." Elena kissed her dad's head then wrapped her arms around her brother, kissing his ear, making him shriek. Elena laughed. "Call me for dessert!" Then, she went upstairs to take a quick shower and get started on her homework.

Booth turned to Brennan. "Do you remember the time when she would get mad at me? For not letting her dry the dishes?" Booth chuckled. "Teen trouble..." He turned to his son, "How about you, Tommy? Did you finish your homework?"

Tommy nodded. "Yes, Daddy, of course I did."

Booth smiled. "If you keep Mom company, I will do the dishes. But just this once, okay?"

Tommy walked over to his mom and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Will you watch some cartoons with me?"

Brennan made a face. "I don't like cartoons," she said. "Why don't you watch cartoons with your dad and then I'll do the dishes? Just this once," she smiled.

"Really?" His smile disappeared quickly, though. "But Dad can't watch cartoons. He's got to make pudding."

Booth stood and held out his hand to his son, who took it and followed him to the living room. He tevo'ed the cartoons, so they would be available to watch them later. "Why don't we help Mom, then make pudding together and then watch the cartoons? Together?"

Tommy's smile returned and he nodded. "Yes! That's a great idea!"

They did as planned, and when it was time for pudding - the kids had certainly inherited Booth's addiction to pudding - Brennan went upstairs to check on her daughter. She found Elena studying with that intense concentration she had. She was the same when she did gymnastics, just utterly focussed. Brennan walked into her daughter's room and gathered Elena's dark, wet curls in her hands. "How's my hard worker doing?"

Elena sighed and leaned back against her mother's tummy. "Working hard. I'm tired."

Brennan soothingly caressed her daughter's cheek. "How about I write you a note for school tomorrow? I think you've done enough for today."

Elena slowly closed her books and pushed herself up and out of her chair. She stepped into her mother's arms and they embraced each other. Brennan pressed Elena tightly against her. "I'm so proud of you. Sometimes I think back to our time together, when it was just you and me and Russ and Grandpa Max. You've been through a lot more than most kids, and you're doing so well. I'm really, really proud, and now it's time for pudding."

A happy smile appeared on Elena's face as she rested safely in her mother's arms. "I'm proud of you, too, Mom. We have a very good life together." With Brennan's arm around Elena's shoulder and Elena's arm around her mother's waist, they walked downstairs. "So," Elena said, "I heard there was pudding?"

"You heard correctly," Booth smiled at his daughter and her mother. "And since I had two helpers, we made chocolate and vanilla. There are still some chocolate chips..." he waved the box at her, then handed her a small bowl of vanilla pudding with a generous amount of chocolate chips. "I think this is someone's favourite."

"Thanks, Dad," Elena smiled and took her pudding to the couch, where her brother was watching his cartoons. "Tommy?" Elena asked in her sweetest voice, knowing she could always get her way with him, "Can we please watch Discovery? We need to learn how to survive in the wild."

"In the wild? How would we end up there?" Thomas stopped the cartoons and changed to Discovery, longing to hear one of the stories his sister could come up with. "You would stay close to me, though, right?" he asked her as he went to sit down next to his big sister, having already forgotten about the cartoons.

Elena wrapped an arm around her brother. "Well, one day, I'll take you camping, but we could get lost while we hike in the mountains, and we'd have to know how to deal with bears and everything, and how to make a fire. We could catch fish and eat them, and swim in the river. Exciting, isn't it?"

"No!" He reached for the blanket and tucked it around both of them. "How do you fight bears?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know. We have to watch this show to find out. I'll make sure I'll climb the rope every day in practice, though, so I can help you climb into a tree and then climb in it myself."

Thomas nodded and stayed close to his sister as they watched the documentary together. Booth sat down in another chair and he pulled Brennan onto his lap. He watched his family as they watched tv. He truly was blessed. When the show was done, he spoke up. "Thomas, time for bed, buddy."

Elena gave her little brother a kiss. "Sweet dreams, brother. Thanks for making me feel better today. I promise to let you play the piano in peace more often."

Thomas hugged his sister and looked into her eyes. "Will you teach me how to climb the rope, too?"

Booth interrupted. "When you're a little older, buddy. Come on, say goodnight to Mom."

"I can take you to the beginners hour and teach you some simple things," Elena promised her brother.

Brennan held out her arms to her son. "Sleep tight, sweetheart," she said as she took a moment to cuddle with her little boy.

Booth enjoyed the sight of his son cradled lovingly in the arms of his mother, then he gently ushered her off of his lap and lifted his son in a fireman's lift, carrying him upstairs. "Little monster," he called out to his daughter, "Your half hour starts right now!"

Elena crawled over to her mother and yawned. She lay down on the couch, her head in Brennan's lap. Brennan gently ran her fingers through her daughter's hair, knowing it relaxed her.

Booth went into the bathroom with his son and they both brushed his teeth. When they were done, Booth walked him to his bedroom and fixed his sheets as Thomas changed into his pyjamas. Booth tucked him in and kissed his forehead. Then he crossed it, asking God to look over his son. After Thomas had done the same for him, Booth kissed his son's cheek one more time. "Goodnight, Thomas."

Thomas yawned, reached for his stuffed animal, which was a bear named Zorro, and mumbled, "Goodnight, Daddy." Then, Booth went into the master bedroom, where he changed as well. He was on his way downstairs, when he changed his mind, walked into Elena's room and grabbed her stuffed animal - Moby - and her favourite book that went along with it. Moby Dick.

Brennan gave Booth a smile. "She's asleep," she whispered.

"Oh," he said, a bit disappointed, putting the stuffed animal and the book down. "It really must've got to her then," he whispered, "That situation at school." He knew his daughter and he knew there was a very fragile heart underneath the tough no-nonsense exterior.

Brennan noticed the book and Moby. "I'm sure she won't want to miss this." Brennan caressed her daughter's cheek. "Honey, Dad has a surprise for you."

Elena slowly opened her eyes. "Is he going to carry me to bed?" she mumbled groggily.

"Not yet, baby girl," Booth spoke softly. "I brought you your Moby and I can read a bit to you? If you'd like that. And if you ask real nicely, I don't think that your mother will mind making you a cup of hot chocolate."

A warm, familiar feeling spread through Elena's body. "I'd love that," she said softly as she sat upright. Elena had fond memories of her early childhood. She felt rich for having had those experiences. It had been a special time. She felt she was closer to her family than anyone she knew.

"Okay. So, what do you want to do? Read or make the hot chocolate?" Booth asked his wife.

"Well, there's only one master chef hot chocolate maker," Brennan smiled at him and reached for the book. "You can do the voices when you join us."

"I will," he smiled at them and got up to make hot chocolate. By the time it was done, Brennan was halfway through the first chapter. Booth sat down next to her and joined in the reading, doing the voices.

Elena felt like a little girl again, without worries or responsibilities, getting all the attention from her parents. It was simply therapeutic. The book brought back fond memories, such as that of the princess room in her uncle Jared's house. Her head rested on her mother's chest, her legs in her father's lap, Moby on her tummy, the hot chocolate warming her inside. She was happy.

After a little over thirty minutes, when they had finished the third chapter, Booth gently rubbed her leg. "Come on, princess, time for bed. Do you want me to carry you upstairs?"

"You'll break your back, Dad," Elena smiled sleepily. She kissed her father's cheek and wound her fingers through her mother's. "You're a bit unconventional, but I couldn't have wished for better parents. Or a better family. And I love you so much for giving me Tommy. Best gift I ever got."

Booth gently transferred his daughter onto his lap and then stood with her in his arms. She was his little girl and when she needed a bit more affection and love, he was going to make sure his daughter didn't doubt who loved her most. And that was him. And her mom. "You and your brother are the best kids ever." He kissed her cheek and stood. "Say goodnight to your mother, I'll help you get settled."

Brennan rose and kissed her daughter. "Goodnight, baby girl," she teased.

"Night, Mommy," Elena played along as she held onto her father's neck. "Are you sure I'm not too heavy?"

"No, you're just right." She wasn't a four-year-old anymore of course, but that didn't mean she was too heavy. Gymnastics had sculpted his daughter into a lean and muscular girl, with the strength of a horse. Booth carried her upstairs and laid her down on her bed. Luckily, she'd already put on her nightgown after her shower. He tucked her in and kissed her cheek. "If anything is bothering you, you just come to me or mom. Okay, darling? You know that, right?"

Elena nodded. "Thanks, Dad. I'll keep you posted."

"You do that, princess." Booth gently brushed her hair away from her beautiful face. "I love you, monster." He wouldn't be mentioning God in this bedroom. His girl was an atheist like her mother and he was more than okay with that. They had their science and athletics to draw inspiration and comfort from. And him.

"Love you, too, Dad," Elena said and rolled onto her side as her father made sure she was warm and comfortable. "I really enjoyed tonight."

"We can do it more often if you want to. Just let me or your mom know. We are here for you, darling. Forever and always." He kissed the top of his daughter's head and made sure she was tucked in. He turned the lights off and went downstairs.

Brennan had tidied the kitchen and living room. She walked up to Booth when he came downstairs again. She took his hand and pulled him to the couch, where they sat down and she swung her legs over his lap. "I've thought about it. If there's no one else in the entire world who can help you with your case, I'll do it."

"Really?" Booth removed her socks and started a soothing foot massage. "What made you change your mind, darling?"

"Well, someone died. They have a family, and they deserve to know where their loved one is," Brennan told him honestly. "And maybe I'm the only person who can identify the remains."

"You probably are," Booth told her honestly. "I'll come by tomorrow morning. By the lab I mean." He gently put her feet down on the couch and crawled over her. "You know, there is one thing that I'm disappointed about, however, you can make it up to me..."

"Disappointed? What did I do?" she feigned hurt as she let him push her down gently.

"I didn't get an opportunity to practise my French... I think you have to give me an opportunity, wouldn't you agree?" he whispered as he softly kissed her jaw.

"Your French is terrible," Brennan chuckled.

"I'm very good at this," he murmured as he shared a very inspiring french kiss with her. "So," he whispered when he pulled back, "_Madame, voulez-vous_," he paused for effect, "_couchez avec moi?_"

Brennan burst out laughing at his ridiculous pronunciation. "_Oui, bien sur_," she agreed, wondering if he'd even understand her answer.

"I'm going to assume that was a yes, based on the fact that I know you find me irresistible," he teased. She started laughing again, but soon her chuckles turned into soft moans and breathless gasps as he made love to his partner on their living room couch. Life couldn't get any better than this.

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That was the first chapter! It was a very long one so it took us a bit longer to update. We'd love to hear your thoughts! What do you think of a 15-year-old Elena, and how do you like the newest member of the family? Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 2

Thanks for your wonderful and helpful comments everyone! We hope to update more frequently from now on. In this chapter: how our favourite couple resolves tension. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 2**

Booth was home early that day and when Thomas called, asking him if he and his sister could have a sleepover at Grandpa Max's, he didn't hesitate and agreed with it.

Both of his kids had extra outfits at their grandfather's place, so they wouldn't be coming by. Booth disappeared into their downstairs gym - the basement - and stripped to his boxers. Then, he walked over to the punching bag and zeroed in, allowing the rest of the world to fade into the background.

The entire day had been focussed on trying to figure out who the victim could be. Booth had seen hordes of distressed parents of missing persons, who had learned about the human remains on the news. His entire morning Booth had been forced to console grieving, angry, scared parents and with every couple that came through the door, it hit him just a bit harder, thinking about his own children. At around 2PM, the madness had died down and from 2 to 5PM, the only thing he had done was trying to reach Dr Silverman, the Forensic Anthropologist in Canada. Not that it mattered. The only thing he had to show for his efforts was a whole load of messages he had left on her answering machine.

Booth spun around, kicking the bag and as he did, he could see something - or better said someone - from the corner of his eye. He landed, rolled over to his jacket, grabbed his gun and without thinking, aimed at the person standing in the doorway. "Show me your hands." It was only when the person did as she was told that he realised it was Bones.

Brennan knew not to provoke her partner in situations like this, and she calmly did as he said, letting him realise on his own that it was just her. She dropped her arms and walked into the basement. She kissed his head. "Where are the kids?"

Booth lowered the gun as she moved towards him and immediately put the safety back on. As she kissed him, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down, onto his lap. "Your dad's house," he murmured quietly as he rested his head on her shoulder, releasing his breath slowly. "I'm sorry, Bones. I just didn't hear you coming."

"It's okay. Rough case? Still no ID?" She slowly ran her fingers through his short hair.

"No ID?" Booth felt his frustration rise once more and took a calming breath to reign it back in. "No, Bones. No idea. I haven't even been able to talk to your colleague yet."

"Really? I just spoke with her yesterday. Oh! Of course, she's not in her office. She's been working on a case on the other side of the country. I'll call her again tonight, ask her if she can find an empty spot in her schedule for your case." Poor Booth, these cases could really get to him.

"Seriously, Brenn?" Booth pushed her off of his lap and stood. "Are you seriously telling me," he grabbed his sweatpants and pulled them on, "that you knew she was on a case? On the other side of the country," he reached down again for his shirt this time, "and you didn't think to tell me?"

Brennan stood as he pushed her off his lap. "Booth, I turn off work when I go home. I didn't think about it. I didn't know you hadn't been able to reach her. We don't talk about work at home, remember?"

"Right." Booth turned around and went upstairs. "Well, I guess I have nothing to talk about then today," he murmured angrily as he went upstairs to the bathroom for a shower. He knew she was right. They had made the decision a long time ago that they would leave their work at work, but it was hard to let this one go. The only thing the ME could tell him was that the victim had been a middle-aged man. And that left him with too many damn possibilities.

Brennan let her husband cool off as he took his shower and she made them chamomile tea for when he'd come back down. She knew there was only one way to improve his mood right now and that was to agree to help him with his investigation. But that meant she'd have to testify, which was a risk on its own. Deciding to take action, Brennan grabbed her phone and called her Canadian colleague. She hung up after three minutes, a stone in her stomach. She'd have to do it. Her colleague was fully booked for the next three months.

By the time Booth had taken his shower, he had set his priorities straight. He would do whatever was in the realm of possibility, but he was only human. He dressed in his pyjamas and went back downstairs, where he was met with the comforting scent of chamomile tea. Booth walked into the living room and lay down on the couch with her, resting his head on her lap, pressing his lips to the soft cotton of her shirt. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her tummy, then looked up at her. "Can we start again? Welcome home, Bones."

Brennan gave him a smile that came out more burdened than forgiving. "It's okay, Booth. I'll do it." She didn't like it, but then, the odds of being murdered as a consequence of testifying as an expert witness were low. Still, there was a risk, and she didn't like taking it.

Booth knew that she didn't want to do this, so he was surprised by her statement. Booth sat up and looked at her. "Did you manage to talk to her? Because I know you don't want to do this, Bones." Now, he was confused.

"I talked to her and she's booked for the next three months. I think that means I can expect a phone call from the director of the FBI, bribing my boss into forcing me to do the case."

Booth looked into her eyes. "I know that this scares you, but... I really need help with this case. Specialised help."

"I know, I know," Brennan sighed. "It's not that I don't want to help you, I just don't want to get known for doing forensic cases. I don't want to get drawn into that world."

Instantly, Booth remembered the reason why they had come to DC in the first place. He had risked everything by going after several suspects without back-up and as a result his wife had been threatened. The threats had been so vile and dangerous that they were forced to move to the other side of the country. "I know you don't want that. It's one case, Brenn. Just the ID and cause of death. Our scientists can do all of the other investigating. You don't have to go out into the field with me or even step into the interrogation room. Just... just look at the remains. That's all that I need you to do."

Brennan corrected him. "That's not all; if I do the ID and COD, I'll have to testify as well. That's the part I don't like. My name in the file. My face on the stand. It makes me feel unsafe."

Booth tenderly transferred her from the couch to his lap. "I know that this scares you. And I have to be honest with you. It scares me as well, but if - God forbid - something like that would ever happen to anyone in our family, I can only hope that the people who have the power to bring them justice, would do so." Booth sighed. "The cases where a murderer or a convicted felon actually goes after the people in the file are few and far between. And if that would turn out to be the case, I will protect you and our kids. You know," he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand as he looked deeply into her eyes, "that there is nothing I wouldn't do to keep you, Elena and Thomas safe."

"We can't ask Elena to build a new life again," Brennan told him seriously. "We can't do that to her. And Thomas... he's so innocent. I'd like him to stay that way. I know I'm focussing on an unlikely outcome, but we've been in that situation and it really scared me."

"Me, too. And even though she never said anything, I know it was very hard on our little girl. I promise you that nobody will lay a hand on our family. It's one case, Brenn."

"I already said I'll do it. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I don't care for those memories coming back," Brennan said in a voice that betrayed her emotions. She'd had nightmares where the criminals that wanted to hurt her to get to Booth carried out their plan of gang-raping her. She'd woken up in a panic, trembling in Booth's arms. The nightmares were so bad she'd even talked to a psychologist a couple of times, willing to try anything to get some sleep. Eventually, as they slowly eased into their new lives, the nightmares just stopped.

Booth embraced her and had to admit that he felt guilty for doing this to her. There was nothing he could do, though. Cullen would most definitely demand her cooperation and her best protection would be him. He was certain of it. "We have the house for ourselves tonight. If you want, we can go out to dinner," Booth suggested.

Brennan shook her head. "No, I'd like to stay home." She looked into his eyes and caressed his jaw. "And I'd like the FBI to train their own forensic anthropologist. I've only had bad experiences with your colleagues, even though I solved the case for them every time. My point is; I don't work for the FBI and I don't want to."

"I know, and you are right." Booth had heard how they talked about her in the bull pen and he made sure his fellow Agents knew that it was unacceptable, but he couldn't stop the gossiping, so he simply ignored it. "Well, this time, you get to work with me. And I promise to value and respect your expertise."

Brennan heaved a sigh. "We'll stop talking about it and I'll do the ID tomorrow. You know I can't make any promises on cause of death."

"I know," he told her quietly. "It's just... I don't like this anymore than you do, Bones. I know that we made very clear agreements about this." He kissed her lips. "We'll stop talking about it," he agreed. "What would you like to eat?"

"Something light - or no, Thai. We could order Thai."

Booth nodded and rubbed her back. "That sounds like a great idea. Do you want the usual?" When she nodded, he kissed her lips again and when she moved off of his lap, he got up, grabbed his phone and called their favourite Thai restaurant.

As they waited for the food to arrive, Brennan found herself wanting to be close to Booth. She lay down on the couch with him, a blanket covering them, her eyes closed, his arms around her protectively.

Booth wrapped his arms and legs around her and rested his hand on her tummy. "I love you."

"I love you, too, even though you wanted to shoot me," she teased him.

"I would never shoot you." He kissed her shoulder. His eyes were closed and her scent and her presence helped him to be able to unwind after his long day. "It was just a horrible, long day today, darling."

"I understand, I forgive you." She pressed a kiss to his collar bone and rested her head against him again.

Booth cupped her breast before he leaned in and kissed her, deepening their connection. They enjoyed each other's presence and shared their bodies in this intimate moment, getting as close to one another as they could while they were still fully clothed. Once the bell rang, Booth pressed a loving kiss to her shoulder and got up to accept their food and pay for it.

When Brennan smelled the food, she found her appetite, and couldn't wait to start eating. Booth opened the cartons and they ate in front of the fire place, the tension falling off them as they enjoyed each other's company.

After dinner, Booth cleared away the cartons and went upstairs. He opened the faucet and poured in some bath salt. Then he went back downstairs and made sure that the doors were locked and the windows were closed. Satisfied with the fact that they were safe inside their home, he went to stand behind the couch and wrapped his arms around his wife's shoulders. "Will you share a bath with me?"

Brennan smiled. "Sounds wonderful." They went upstairs and undressed, then put on their robes to stay warm as the water slowly filled the bath. Brennan felt a bit chilly, so when she finally got into the warm water with Booth, it was as if her body sighed with contentment.

They sunk into the water up to their chins. Immediately, Booth wrapped his arms around her body. The feeling of having her soft, sensitive skin against his own made his whole day worthwhile. He closed his eyes and hummed contently. "Thank you, Bones," he whispered softly.

"Shush. Stop talking about it. I want to relax with you," she whispered back as she slid her foot down his shin.

"That wasn't what I meant, Brenn. I meant to thank you for being such a wonderful, loving partner. You're always here for me when I need you." He opened his eyes and gently helped her turn around, so they were facing each other. "It's been a long time since we've had the house to ourselves."

"Yeah, the silence is deafening," Brennan chuckled before gently kissing him.

"If the silence is the problem, I can assure you that I have my ways to make you scream," he teased back.

"I don't scream," she protested, "But I agree we won't have to be so careful about it if the kids aren't here."

"Challenge accepted," Booth smiled, and when the water began to cool, he unplugged the bathtub and drained the water. He stood and helped her up as well. He dried her body slowly and tenderly. After she had done the same for him, he lifted her into his embrace and took her to bed, where he focussed all of his attention, care and talents on her body. The heartfelt groan that tore through the silence and filled their hearts with love and respect for one another came from him instead of her, though. They fell asleep together, entangled in the sheets and for the first time since he had been handed the case, Booth enjoyed a good night's rest.

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Would you have accepted the case in Brennan's place? Would you have asked if you were Booth? We hope to hear from you again! Next chapter we'll be back with Thomas and Elena.


	4. Chapter 3

Here's another long chapter for you, we're slowly building up the plot and we hope you're enjoying this story.

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**Chapter 3**

Max was delighted that his grandchildren had decided to stop by. They'd had so much fun that day that his sweethearts wanted a sleepover. His daughter and Booth had given their consent and Max couldn't be happier. Having his grandchildren around was the best thing. To think that at one time he'd wanted his daughter to abort Elena... unthinkable.

They'd just had breakfast and Elena was finishing her shower. When both kids were in the living room again, and they were enjoying a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and a cookie, Max spoke up. "Grandchildren, I have a proposal. You've told me that you want to have a dog. That's a big responsibility. A dog is a member of your family. Your dad doubts you'll be able to handle all that comes with taking care of a dog, so here's what I think we should do. We can go to the animal shelter today and pick a dog to walk. We'll do it the entire weekend, to practise the responsibility. What do you think?"

"Yes!" Tommy shouted as he ran over to his grandfather and wrapped his arms around him. "Yes! Thank you, Grampa, thank you, thank you, thank you!" He released his grandfather and ran over to his sister. "Isn't this wonderful?" he asked her enthusiastically.

Elena smiled, too. "Awesome, Grandpa," she agreed and stood to ruffle her brother's hair. He was cute when he was excited.

"Great!" Max said enthusiastically, glad he'd been able to come up with an idea that his grandchildren were excited about. "Once you've finished your drinks, we can go to the shelter."

Tommy emptied his cup as fast as he could and then disappeared upstairs, rushing out of his pyjamas and into his clothes. When he came back downstairs, he rolled his eyes at his sister who was cleaning the cups. "Elena!" he shouted and ran over to her, "You have to get dressed! Come on! And don't take forever in the bathroom, please?" He gave her his best puppy dog smile. "Please? For me?"

Elena put her hands on her hips. "Do you have any idea how long it takes to tame these curls?" she spoke to him strictly. Then, she smiled and gave him a kiss. "I'll take however long I'll take, brother. We have all day at the shelter. Go brush your teeth or something."

Thomas had more in his arsenal than that, though. He was his father's son after all. "But Elly..." He wrapped his arms around his sister's waist and looked up at her, pouting sadly. "Don't you love me anymore?"

"Oh my god, Tommy!" Elena exclaimed, bursting out laughing. "You know I can't refuse you anything if you make that face. I don't feel like rushing," she pouted back.

"Maybe a little? How about I'll be patient and you rush... maybe just the teensiest bit? You can do that, right? Besides, I love your curls wild." Thomas released his sister and placed his hands on his head. "My hair is always so flat."

Elena huffed. "Flat is easy." She squeezed her little brother. "I'll do what I can," she promised, then went to the bathroom to put her wild curls into a ponytail. Meanwhile, Max was quickly preparing a picknick basket.

Now that he had his sister on the move, Thomas turned around and ran over to his grandfather. "Can I help?"

"Sure thing, Thomas," Max said, and gave his grandson a few sandwiches to put cheese and vegetables on.

"Grampa? Do you think that if we walk the dogs really well that Daddy will change his mind?"

"Well, I don't know about that, but it will strengthen your case." Max ruffled his grandson's hair.

"I really want a puppy, Grampa," Thomas told him and crawled onto his grandfather's lap. "Did Mom have a dog when she was a kid?"

"No, she didn't. She and your uncle Russ didn't have any pets."

"Do you think Dad had a pet? Maybe," Thomas' eyes widened, "maybe that's why they don't want one! They've never had a pet before, either!" The revelation was somehow soothing. Elena and him could learn how to take care of a dog and then he could teach his mom and dad.

Elena came into the kitchen. "Want to braid my ponytail, Tommy?"

"Yes, of course." At this point, he would've done anything to leave faster. He sat down on the table as she sat down on a chair in front of him. Thomas helped his sister to braid her hair. When they were done, he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Can we go now, Elly?" he asked sweetly.

"Yes, yes, yes," Elena sang as she held on to her little brother's arms as she stood up, carrying him easily on her back. "Ready, Grandpa?"

"Yes, ma'am," Max said and grabbed the picknick basket. They all put on their coats and Thomas left the house riding on his sister's back.

The car ride seemed to go on forever, even though both Grampa and Elena insisted that it had only been twenty minutes. When Thomas finally got out of the car, he ran around to the driver's side and took his grandfather's hand. "Let's go look at the doggies!"

Elena put on her shades and carried the picknick basket. They entered the shelter and Elena put the basket on the ground while they looked for someone from the staff. A boy around her age came walking up to them. She took off her shades and recognised the person. Damn it, damn it, damn it. "Alexander," she nodded coolly, the way her dad had shown her he spoke to suspects.

"Elena, right? Good morning. Welcome to the Washington Shelter. Would you like a tour?" Alex was surprised to see her here. She'd seemed such a loud, intimidating person back at school that the image of her in a t-shirt and skirt, with a picknick basket on her arm, was not something he would readily associate with her. A younger boy, he suspected it to be her brother, stepped forward and held out his hand.

"Hi! I'm Thomas, but I like Tommy better. I want to walk the dogs! Can you show me where they are?"

Alex shook his hand, then looked up at the older man that was accompanying them. "If it's okay with your grandfather, yes, I will."

Max nodded towards the boy. "Go right ahead, Alexander." When the boy turned around to start the tour, Max made sure to keep a suspicious eye on him, and he held his granddaughter back. "How do you know that guy, honey?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "Not you also, Grandpa. You're just like Dad. He's a guy from school and I don't even like him. I'm not looking for a boyfriend."

Max secretly took a relieved breath and patted her shoulder. "Good girl."

Alexander took them on a tour, showing them the yard, where the dogs could run and play. The places that were reserved for the dogs to poop, the doggy baths and the kitchen. He was starting to lose Thomas' interest, so he stopped in the reception area and handed him a leash. "Why don't you and your grandfather take a walk with Milly? She's one of our new puppies. You'll love her."

Thomas turned around and looked up at his grampa with hopeful eyes. "Can we?"

"Sure!" Max smiled at his grandson, glad to see the kid was enjoying himself. His granddaughter, however, was acting aloof. So she really didn't like the guy. Good...

Alexander helped them to leash Milly and when they were on their way, he looked at Elena. "So," he shrugged his shoulders, "Do you want to walk one of the dogs?"

Elena sent him a sharp look as his gaze flicked over her body. If her grandfather hadn't been here, she'd have attacked Alexander just for looking at her. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "No, I'm here to walk the chickens," she replied sarcastically.

Alexander was insulted and in a heartbeat, he wanted to show her that walking a dog wasn't as easy as it sounded. "I have a dog that still needs to be walked... but I don't think you could handle him."

Elena snorted. "Will the dog attack my brother?"

"Worse than that. He's proud and stubborn, but mostly scared. Look," he sighed in annoyance, "do you want to walk Ripley or not?"

"I'll keep some distance between the dog and my brother. Where is it? I'll walk it for you."

"Come on, I'll show you." They walked to a kennel at the end of the shelter and Alexander went to sit down in front of it, with his back to the dog.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked him, confused. Wasn't he supposed to get the dog out of the kennel?

Alexander sighed in annoyance and frustration and reached out without thinking about it. His bruised, scratched wrist was visible for a split second as he grabbed her arm and pulled her to sit down next to him. "Look, Ripley has to come to us. He'll just become aggressive if we go in there before he lets us know that he wants to spend time with us. So sit. And be quiet," he told her as he adjusted his sleeve. Good thing that it hadn't slipped further. He didn't need Miss Know-it-all to see the scars on his arms and the insides of his elbows.

Elena noticed the angry skin on his wrist and her first thought was 'grips'. Her wrists sometimes looked like that after practising uneven bars. But Alexander didn't do gymnastics. Oh well, a skin-scratched wrist never killed anyone. Annoyed that he touched her, she pulled her arm free and sat down with him, waiting for this apparently life-threatening dog to decide he wanted to take a walk.

After a few moments, Ripley came to lay down behind him and when Alexander felt his snout against his elbow, he stood and opened the gate. He held out the collar and when Ripley sat down, he put it on. "Let him sniff your hand. Let him come to you," he told her as he put the leash on the floor, but held onto it, alert and focussed, but without being threatening. Ripley sniffed her hand and pushed his snout against it. Alexander handed over the leash. It had taken him three days to get the dog so far as to touch him. And here she was, getting it accomplished in the first five minutes.

"I don't understand why you're so scared of this dog. He seems pretty tame to me," Elena commented as she took the leash. "Where's the exit?"

"Maybe you're just lucky. I'm staying close to you. And the exit is over there," he pointed to the big sign.

"No, thanks. You go do what you need to do. I'll bring this one back in an hour or so. Alexander." She gave him the nod again and calmly walked out of the building, the dog walking next to her.

Left alone, basically treated as a servant - and not a very good one at that - Alexander kicked against the kennel as he turned around to continue cleaning the doggy bathroom, so they could all have a bath later.

Max spotted Elena finally exiting the building and he strolled over to her. "That must be quite some dog, honey. You must have had much to discuss?" he prodded, not at all subtle.

"Grandpa, stop it," Elena pleaded. "Apparently this dog requires you to sit next to his kennel for an hour before making the decision to come on a walk with you. That or Alexander's scared of him. And for the record, you and Dad can both consider me a lesbian from now on. You're acting like teenagers. I don't even want a boyfriend."

"You know, that reminds me of another young lady. A pirate lady... who met a Zorro? And had a princess baby girl? Does that - does that sound familiar to you, too?"

Elena groaned. "I'm Mom's daughter, not her clone. And I'm fifteen, you and Dad should be ashamed of yourselves for even vaguely suggesting that I would sleep with a guy," she lectured her grandfather.

"Oh, honey, you're looking at this from the wrong point of view. Neither your dad nor me wants you to sleep with a guy, but you are growing up. And boys are a part of the world. And you are right." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You are not Temperance. You are Elena. And you are not her clone, but I don't want you to not consider love to be a possibility like your mother once did. I don't want you to feel scared, like your mom was, when finally that guy - or girl - comes into your life. And both your parents and me want you to know that you can always come to us to talk." Max chuckled. "Even if it's about sleeping with boys."

"I know you mean well, Grandpa," Elena grinned, "But I really don't want to talk about that yet. I'm married to gymnastics. And to Tommy, in a non-gross way. I can assure you he's the only boy in my life." Elena glanced at the reddish-brown dog. It was walking calmly beside her. What was wrong with Alexander that he treated this animal like some dangerous carnivore?

Thomas and Milly approached them and when he saw the brown dog that Elena was walking, Thomas ran towards the dog. "Oh, Elly! He's so cute!" he yelled out loud.

Max noticed that the dog's ears stood up straight and that he crouched a bit. The dog's whimpers turned into growls and by the time Thomas was almost near the dog, Max called out, "Thomas, don't!"

Alexander, who had been following their progress, came running and skidded to a halt in between Tommy and the dog. Tommy ran into his back, and Alexander spread out his arms to hold the overly enthusiastic boy back. "Shh, Ripley. Thomas didn't mean to scare you." The dog stopped growling and sat back, trembling lightly. Alexander looked up at Elena and took the leash. "I'm sorry, but you all have to give this dog some space. Please go and walk on the other side of the yard." He sat down in front of the dog as the grandfather started to steer them away from the dog.

Elena had looked on in horror as the dog seemed ready to attack her brother. Before she'd had the chance to move, though, Alexander came out of nowhere and threw himself in front of Thomas. For a few milliseconds, Elena had been scared to death that the dog would bite her brother. Her hands trembling, she quickly handed over the leash and ran over to Thomas. She dropped to her knees in front of him. "Are you okay?" she asked him a bit frantically as she held his shoulders.

Thomas wrapped his arms around her and held her. "Yes. Are you? Do you think he's dangerous? Why would Alexander give you the dog if he's dangerous?"

Max intervened and sat down on the grass next to his two grandchildren. "This was an important lesson for all of us. At the end of the day, dogs are animals. And animals follow their instincts. If somebody twice the size of you, Tommy, would run up to you, babbling in a language you didn't understand, wouldn't you get scared?"

Thomas thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "You're right, Grampa. I won't do it again."

"Well, we're not taking that dog, Ripley, that's for sure," Elena said decisively as she embraced her little brother. "Let's continue walking with Milly. She seems like a safer animal." Alexander was such an ass. Why would he give her an unstable dog like Ripley when there were kids around? Unbelievable.

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking Milly. They had a picknick together and by the end of the afternoon, Max knew that his grandson wouldn't really want to part from the dog. And so he made a decision. "Elena, Tommy, we have to talk."

"About what?" Elena wanted to know.

"About getting a dog. Are you really sure after today that you want one?"

Tommy lifted Milly in his arms and went to sit on his sister's lap. "Yes, Grampa. Look at Milly! She's the best dog ever. Can't we keep her?"

"I don't know, Tommy," Elena told him carefully. "Milly seems like a really good dog, but I'm afraid she'll hurt you if she gets scared. I don't want you to run that risk."

"I'm afraid you get hurt when you do all of those crazy flips at the gym, but I let you go," Thomas pointed out.

Max interrupted. "Not every dog is like Ripley, honey. This dog is a cute, safe dog. I suggest that we come back to walk her more often. And we'll see what happens next."

Thomas was immediately over the moon, and Elena smiled tenderly at her brother's happiness. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his chubby cheek. "Thanks, Grandpa. We really appreciate it."

"Right. Elena, will you take Milly back inside? Thomas, I want you to help me to clean up the picknick and put the basket back into the car."

"Okay," Elena agreed, glad she was taking the dog and not her brother. She sensed immediately that Milly was a much calmer dog than Ripley. A bit boring, but safe. She took Milly back to the shelter, where she found Alexander, and handed him the leash. "I really don't know whether to kick your butt for giving me that dangerous dog knowing he might attack my brother, or thank you for interfering at the right moment," she told him.

"I didn't know he was going to attack your brother," Alexander told her honestly. "He startled Ripley. It wasn't his fault, but it wasn't Ripley's fault either. I'm sorry it happened and I'm glad that nobody got hurt."

"Yeah, me, too," Elena told him coolly. "Well then. We'll be back tomorrow to walk Milly, if that's okay. My brother really likes her."

"Of course it's okay. Would you - would you mind walking Ripley? He seems to trust you and he should trust more people than just me."

"I'll consider it." She put her shades back on and gave him the nod again, hoping she looked at least a little bit as intimidating as her father. "Alexander." With that, she walked away.

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So, do you think Elena would do well as an FBI agent, like her dad? And what about little Thomas? Should he get a dog? The story will move forward next week, and we hope you'll be back!


	5. Chapter 4

As always, we'd like to thank our reviewer(s)! The stage has been set, now it's time for this story to pick up some speed. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 4**

Thomas and Elena had ended up spending the entire weekend at their grandfather's. They'd been walking dogs most of the time, enjoying their time together. Elena had walked Ripley once more, when Alex couldn't make it. She'd made sure to keep distance between herself and her little brother and grandfather. Alexander, she had to admit, hadn't behaved like the pain in the butt she thought he was. He'd been friendly to her family, even nice to her. And she really appreciated the fact that Alex had jumped between Ripley and her brother.

Today was another start of the school week, and Elena was looking forward to gymnastics practice. She was walking back to class after a bathroom visit when she saw Alex again. He was in his gym clothes and half-sprinted through the hallway. Again, he hit a younger kid and the scrawny boy fell against the lockers. "Alexander!" Elena shouted at him. She'd just decided to give him a chance and he'd managed to ruin it for himself within a day. Elena asked the boy if he was okay and helped him up. Then, she went after Alex. His bullying had to stop.

Alex' heart was racing as he ran blindly through the hallway. It registered that he had run into somebody, but it all happened in a blur. He ran out the building and around the corner. He sagged against the wall and fell to his knees. Alex closed his eyes and tried to think of Ripley. The soft feeling of the animal's fur, the warmth of his body, his cool snout. The way he would trustingly rest his head on Alex' lap. He pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes and did his best to block the memories, but they were stronger than the images of Ripley that he tried to focus on. His breathing was shallow and soon, he was hyperventilating.

Elena saw the door fall closed, Alex having run through it and disappeared. She ran outside, too, and heard his fast breathing before she noticed him sitting on the ground. "Alex?" She walked up to him and crouched so she could see his face. "What's wrong?" she asked, genuinely concerned as she saw the desperate expression on his face and the panicky flicking of his eyes. His hands were trembling and he seemed actually... scared. Elena couldn't help but feel concerned for him, and she placed her hand on his knee. "Just breathe," she told him, taking a deep breath and then slowly breathing out to show him what she meant.

Flinching when she touched him, he pushed her hand off of him, but he did his best to follow her breathing. Eventually, his breathing slowed down and his body relaxed slowly, leaning against the wall.

Elena let him take his time to calm down, but she didn't leave. She looked him over to see if he was physically injured. It didn't seem to be the case.

"Why... Look," he looked up at her, "I know you don't like me, so don't... don't bother okay? Just leave me alone." He struggled to stand, keeping one hand on the wall to steady himself.

"I can't not like you since you jumped in front of Ripley to protect my brother," Elena told him honestly. "What happened?"

"Bad memories, okay?" The school bell rang but Alex didn't move. He would go back and change after everybody left. He needed to wait just a few more minutes. The pills that he needed were in his backpack. As soon as he had taken those, things would get better.

"Maybe I should take you to the nurse," Elena suggested. He seemed very distraught.

"No!" He forced himself to stand without leaning on the wall. "No. There is no need for that. I will be fine. I just have a headache. There's a painkiller in my bag."

"I'll walk with you," Elena said and went to hold open the door for them to enter the school building.

Alex sensed that she wouldn't change her mind, so he mumbled a thank-you as he walked inside. By the time they got to the locker room, his backpack was on the floor, his clothes strewn around the room and his backpack emptied. Alex dug into it, and luckily found the pills in the small hidden place he always put them. "Oh no," he groaned as he started to gather his stuff. "My notes on Moby Dick are gone! My book report was due tomorrow. I'm never going to be able to read that damn book again and write a report on it!" The setback nearly sent him into another panic attack and quickly he swallowed a pill.

"Did you say Moby Dick?" Elena asked him, surprised.

"Yes! By Herman Melville. I read it weeks ago and I made notes, but they are all gone. I'm going to have to start over," his breathing sped up again, "and I have so much other work to do as well. I - I ..."

He was suddenly very vulnerable, and it tore at Elena's heart. "Don't worry about it," she told him quickly, eager to reassure him, "I happen to know Moby Dick by heart. Why don't you come to my place, and I'll tell you everything you need to know about Moby Dick," she proposed.

He looked up at her. "Really? Why - why would you do that?" He was slowly calming down, the pill taking effect.

Elena shrugged and gave him a small smile. "Why not? If you need a reason, make it because you protected my brother."

Alex nodded. "Are you sure your folks won't mind?" He breathed out slowly as he leaned down and started to gather his stuff, pushing it all into his backpack.

"They're working, and my brother's playing with our nephew." They exited the room and walked to the classroom where Elena left her bag before going to the bathroom and spotting Alex.

"Okay, then" Alex agreed. "Do you walk home? Or do you have a bike?"

"When the weather's nice, I walk," Elena replied as she got her back and apologised to the teacher for not coming back before class ended. They walked outside together and Elena showed the way to her home.

They walked to her house together and when they stopped in front of the large two-story house, Alex whistled appreciatively. "Whoaw, you live here? This is nice, Elena."

She didn't mention anything about the house being a compensation because they'd had to run for their lives after her father solved a case. "It's a good home," she merely said and used her key to let them in. "You can put your coat over there. Tea? Oh and I have to say beforehand; we need to do this in an hour; I have to get ready for practice tonight." They hung up their coats and Elena put her bag away. She started to boil some water for tea. "So where do you live?" she asked him.

"Close to school, other part of town, though. So when will your parents and your brother be home?" he asked her. He'd already taken one pill, but he could already feel the need for a second. He had to wait until he could leave, though, because after the second pill, he'd be high. And maybe she wouldn't notice, but an adult would.

"Also in about an hour. I usually have about twenty minutes with them before I leave for practice." Elena poured them both a cup of tea and put them on the dining table. "So, Moby Dick. Hold on, I'll get my book." She quickly ran upstairs, grabbed the worn book and joined Alex in the kitchen. "I'll give you a synopsis and analyses on all the characters," she offered.

Alex frowned and looked at the book. "So, I take it this is your all-time favourite?" He gave her a lopsided smile and added, "My favourite is Jungle Book by Kipling. So if you ever need a synopsis and analyses on that book, I'm your man." He dug into his backpack and got out his notebook and a pen. "Okay, let's have it then."

Elena lectured him for almost the entire hour, enthusiastically bringing the characters to life. She actually had a good time, and Alex seemed calm again.

As he was writing down the last of her helpful comments, the door opened and an enthusiastic 8-year-old ran into the room. "Elena, I'm hoooo... oh hi, Alex!" Tommy smiled at him before he launched himself at his sister. "I'm home. I missed you."

Elena caught her little brother and cuddled him. "I missed you, too, silly," Elena laughed and kissed his cheek.

Booth held open the door and waited for Brennan to enter, before he walked in, closing the door behind him. "Hi, sweetheart. Who is your friend?" He had heard Tommy refer to him as Alex, so he knew who it was, but Elena knew perfectly well not to take anybody home without asking, so he decided some good-natured teasing was in order.

"Hi, Dad," Elena said and gave her father a kiss. "This is Alexander. His notes got stolen so I helped him with his book presentation on Moby Dick."

Brennan walked in and she, too, was surprised to find a boy in Elena's presence. She shook Alex' hand. "Temperance Brennan, I'm Elena's mom," she introduced herself.

Booth held out his hand and shook Alex'. "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, Elena's father. Nice to meet you."

Alex' heart skipped a beat, but he did his best not to show it. "Nice to meet you." He started packing. "Well, my book report is done and I know Elena has practice, so," he stuffed his backpack as fast as he could, "I should get going. I have to be home on time for dinner anyway." In his hurry, he didn't notice that the small plastic bag fell from his backpack to the floor. "Elena, thank you very much for your help. I'll see you tomorrow at school. Bye." He didn't give her a chance to walk him out. "Bye, Tommy, Mrs. Brennan, Mr. Booth."

"Bye!" Elena called after him. He seemed to be in a hurry all of a sudden. Elena shrugged. They'd had a nice afternoon and she needed to get ready for practice. "There's Rooibos tea. I'm going to change," she told her family and noticed the bag with pills as she lifted her book from the table. Deciding she'd give it back to Alex the next day, she took it upstairs with her and put it in her drawer. When she was changed and ready to have a snack and then leave, she came downstairs. "Sorry for not telling you he was here. I just really felt sorry for him when I saw him at school. He was all panicked, I had to help him out."

"It's good of you that you wanted to help, but you know the rules, little monster," Booth told her as he hugged her. "If you want to have someone else over, you ask us. Especially if it's an older boy." Booth became serious. "I mean it, princess. It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't trust teenage boys."

"I get it, Dad. It won't happen again." Elena hugged her father back. "Dad? Could you please drive me to practice today? I'm a bit late. Please?" Elena gave him the look she knew he couldn't resist, though it quickly evolved into a grin.

Booth winked at her as he grabbed his car keys again. "Is your bag ready?"

"Yes!" Elena exclaimed. "Best dad ever." She grabbed her little brother and gave him a kiss, then she hugged her mother.

"Do your best, enjoy practice," Brennan told her daughter as she tucked a rebellious curl back into Elena's tidy bun.

"I will, Mom. See you tonight." Elena grabbed her bag and smiled at her dad. "Ready!"

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So, what do you think the deal is with Alex? Is he going to be dangerous for Elena? Next chapter, we'll be back with Booth and Brennan. Stay tuned!


	6. Chapter 5

We're back with a shorter chapter, but one that should be good :). We'll be back soon with more!

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**Chapter 5**

As promised, Brennan had received the remains at the Jeffersonian. It had taken her only half a day of work to get the identification part done. It wasn't a difficult ID to make; she'd used the dental work and some smaller indicators. She was carrying her file in her bag as she walked to the Hoover. It was a nice day and she enjoyed walking. She and Booth had agreed to meet for lunch anyway, and she may as well bring him the file before they'd leave. She walked into the building and identified herself, then was allowed to continue to Booth's office.

"Look, there she is, our very own ice queen," Agent Jameson whispered to Agent Silverman, who snorted.

"Hey sweetheart, what are you doing here? This is the hotness department, we don't do cold cases," Silverman snickered. "If you're here to ask Booth for a job, I'd stop right now. You need to actually have empathy to do the work we do," Silverman boldly spoke to her as Brennan walked between the desks.

Brennan didn't know how to deal with the remarks, so she just ignored them and walked on. After a second insult, she stopped and snapped, "I solved your case, Agent Silverman. You're welcome."

"See? No empathy. No social skills. I wonder what Booth wants with you." He leaned forward and gave her a once over. "You must be real good in bed, sweetheart. I can't imagine why else he would put up with you."

Booth looked up and frowned when he saw his partner stopping next to Ralph Silverman's desk. Agent Silverman was an arrogant, self-righteous bastard. When he and Brennan talked to each other, Booth moved quietly and quickly to the door. He opened it just a bit and listened as Agent Silverman's words drifted in. "... No social skills. I wonder what Booth wants with you. You must be real good in bed, sweetheart. I can't imagine why else he would put up with you." Booth could feel his anger growing and opened the door forcefully. "No social skills, huh Silverman? That's better than lacking even basic manners. And you guys," he addressed the other men in the room. "Grow up. We are FBI Agents, not teenagers in high school. If I ever hear anybody talking like that again - whether it's about my partner or anybody else - they will answer to me. Understood?" Booth opened the door a bit further and motioned for Brennan to enter.

Brennan wondered how childish little men like Silverman were able to get important positions like these. They just didn't come across as very intelligent. She walked into Booth's office, glad they could have some privacy.

Booth closed the door behind her and fought his instinct to hug her. It would seem patronising with everybody looking at them and he knew she was strong. So instead of giving into his instincts, he clapped in his hands as he sat down on his desk. "So! What have you got for me? An ID? Maybe even a COD?"

"So far, just an ID. Jason Doug, 52 years old. Cause of death will take a bit more time." Brennan placed the file on his desk, feeling a bit uncomfortable in Booth's workplace. There were hardly any women to be seen; they'd probably fled to more private offices, or at least somewhere away from these men.

Booth took the file in his hands and as he kept his gaze fixed on the paper, he spoke up softly, tenderly, "You okay, Bones? Don't worry about them. Especially not Silverman," he turned a page, "That guy is a jackass."

"I know, I've been forced to work with him," Brennan replied dryly. "Do you still have time for lunch?"

He looked up at her and smiled widely. "Definitely." He closed the file. "Besides, it's a lot easier for both of us if you just tell me these things verbally. Ready to go?"

"Definitely," Brennan said as she blew out her breath. Booth got his jacket and Brennan opened the door. They quickly walked through the bullpen and into the elevator.

"So, how was your day so far?" Booth asked her as they walked towards his car.

"Fine," she replied. "Yours?" She felt bad that Booth had heard what his colleagues said to her. She didn't want to create any difficulties for him at work. He had other things to focus on. They'd both agreed he'd try to get promoted so his work would get less dangerous.

"Good, until I noticed Silverman and his sexual harassment skills. You know that they react like that because they don't know how to deal with a woman smarter than them, right?"

"If it's true, that's really pathetic." They got into the car and buckled up. "For the record, I like working with you much better," she smiled at him. "Aren't you intimidated by my intelligence?" she teased.

"Dreadfully so, but I trust that you will use all that knowledge and that big brain of yours to make me look good," he teased back.

"You don't need me for that, Booth. You make yourself look very, very good. Trust me. And if you don't, ask your children." She gave his hand a squeeze and loved him for being man enough to not feel threatened by women.

"I simply enjoy spending time with you. Whether it's you reading a magazine and me reading the paper or those early Saturday mornings in bed, or this, going to the diner for lunch to talk business. I love it all."

Brennan looked at him with love filling her heart. "Me, too," she said softly. "We have a great family, and a really good life."

"We do. So, do you mind telling me what's in that report? I'd much rather listen to your voice than stare at those pages."

"I'll talk to you over some food. I'm hungry," she started making demands. "And I want to go on a date with you. This week."

Now, she had his attention "And what did my girl have in mind?" he asked her curiously.

"Something romantic," Brennan smiled. "Something private. Maybe... a weekend away, though that could wait until after you solve this case. We like our jobs, but I wish we could spend more time together."

"Deal. We'll start planning a weekend away, but I don't want to wait for a date with you until this case is solved. It's Wednesday today, how about Friday night, huh? I have some time to plan something special for my girl then." He glanced at her, treating her to his full-blown charm smile. "Whatcha think? Is it a date?"

He parked the car and she turned to him, leaning in for a kiss. "Yes. I love you, Booth."

"Great! Now, come on, let's get something to eat. I'm starving. And Bones," he reached for her hand and leaned in to kiss her, "A salad is not lunch."

"What? I like salads," she defended herself as they got out of the car. "You're right, though; I am hungry, so I'll have more than a salad today." She looped her arm through his and together they walked over to the diner and entered.

They walked over to their regular table and Booth sat down. "How were our kids this morning?" He had left early, so he hadn't seen them yet. They could talk about work after lunch, he decided.

"Tired, as usual," Brennan chuckled. "It was a good morning, the kids were fine. Elena was already talking about practice and I know Thomas was looking forward to his sister being at practice, too, so he can practise his music."

Booth laughed. "Sometimes I really don't understand how those two manage to get along the way they do." The waitress came by and they ordered their lunch. "You know, I think it's mostly Elena. She can definitely be stubborn and moody, but she's very protective of her little brother."

"Well, she's wished for him ever since she celebrated her first birthday with you present, so now that she has a sibling, she's not going to let anything happen to him," Brennan reasoned. "Just one thing, though," she became serious, "You have to relax a little when it comes to your daughter and the subject of boys. She still has to be able to feel comfortable coming to you if she wants to ask or talk about something. And you don't want to give her the idea that all men are evil, I mean, that's kind of what happened between my dad and me, and it made me feel uncomfortable around guys. Elena needs to want to crawl onto your lap and cry if a boy disappoints her."

Their conversation turned real serious, real quick, "I'm just teasing. Do you really think she's taking it that hard?" Because he didn't mean to make her uncomfortable around men. Especially not around him.

"With teenage girls, you can never be sure. Trust me, I've been one," Brennan smiled at him and squeezed his hand across the table. "You're a great dad, Booth, just be careful with this particular subject."

Booth turned his hand, so he could entangle their fingers and as he held her gaze, he promised her that he would. "Thanks for telling me. I really didn't realise how big the impact of my words were."

"Maybe they aren't, but they could be. Besides, I don't think you have to worry about that yet. I'm sure we can trust Elena."

"I've been a teenage boy and so I can tell you that, yes, we can trust our daughter, but it's the teenage boys that I don't trust." He squeezed her hand. "I'll stop teasing her about it," Booth promised. Their lunch was delivered and they released each other's hand.

They ate in a companionable silence, catching each other's eyes every now and then, and smiling at each other. Even after fifteen years, including the four years they hadn't seen each other, they were still very much in love.

When they finished their lunch, Booth went to sit next to her on the bench and looked at her. "Okay," he pointed to the file in her bag, "walk me through it."

Brennan grabbed her bag and did as he asked her. Half an hour later, she had brought him up to speed.

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So, Brennan has her usual reputation of being an ice-queen (though we know, and Booth knows, that that's all wrong). Next chapter, Brennan has a little bit of trouble dealing with everything. Let's see how their family deals with that. We'd love to hear from you!


	7. Chapter 6

Thanks to those who reviewed for your wonderful words, we're glad you all feel the same way about Booth's colleagues ;). Now, let's get a little easier on Brennan.

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**Chapter 6**

By the time Brennan came home that evening, she realised she was really late, because Booth was already home and her daughter's bike was gone. Brennan always tried to be home before Elena went to practice. Today, though, she'd worked beyond her usual hours. She'd been working on Booth's remains for ten hours straight. She'd found the most probable cause of death, but she'd had to analyse over a dozen injuries to the bones, from tiny cuts to subtle bruisings. And she'd had to find the injuries first, which had taken up a huge part of the day. Her findings had ended up horrifying her. When she walked into their home, she heard soft piano tunes from upstairs. Her son's peaceful piano play brought a soft, tired smile to her lips. She took off her coat and kicked off her shoes, then went in search of her partner.

Booth was in the kitchen, preparing the kids' lunchboxes for the next day. He looked up when the door opened and left the kitchen, walking into the living room. "There you are." He walked over to his wife and embraced her. "I was about to send out a search party," he teased. "Come on, dinner is in the oven. It's still hot."

Brennan didn't let go of him yet, though. She needed him, his familiarity and comfort. She didn't understand how he could do the work he did. She breathed in deeply, his calming scent filling her lungs, as her head rested on his shoulder.

Sensing that she was not in the mood to tease and banter, Booth held her a bit closer, kissing her temple. "Want to talk about it?"

"No," she said, "I want to think of something else." She felt his body heat warm her, and pressed herself close against him, slowly relaxing.

"Okay." He thought for a moment. "Close your eyes. Do you hear that?"

"I can hear your heartbeat," she said after a moment.

"Focus on that," he whispered softly. Booth tightened his grip on her the tiniest bit and started to twirl them around the room, slowly, moving in soothing circles.

Brennan smiled against his chest, closing her eyes, giving him full control of their movements. "How do you deal with what you do, Booth?" she asked him as they moved slowly.

"Easy," he whispered. "I come home to you. And Elena and Thomas. I have to tell you, the moment that Tommy jumped into my arms tonight, all of my stress fell away from me." He kissed her cheek and murmured softly, "So, keep listening to my heartbeat and let me do the same for you."

"I doubt it's as easy as you say it is. For me, at least." With her eyes closed, she felt every one of his movements and followed it. It was soothing.

"You make it easy for me, by loving me and being patient and understanding on the worst days. When did you last eat, darling?"

"I had breakfast this morning, then a few snacks throughout the day to keep my blood-sugar levels up. I didn't have a real lunch, now that you mention it."

Booth stopped and leaned back slowly. "That is the one thing you can't do, darling. You have to continue taking good care of yourself. Come on, Elena outdid herself. She made a mean mac 'n cheese. Almost as good as her mother's."

"She cooked?" Brennan smiled. She was so proud of her daughter. "I'm hungry, let's see how many of my cooking genes she inherited." Brennan opened her eyes and kissed Booth for a few moments, taking her time, enjoying their closeness.

Booth gave her what he knew she needed and what he enjoyed himself. Together, they walked to the kitchen table. She sat down and he opened the oven and grabbed oven mints. "Be careful, don't touch your plate. Here. Some for you..." He put it down in front of her and then he grabbed another small plate. "And some for me!"

Brennan enjoyed having a quick meal with Booth. When they were done, the piano tunes stopped. "I'm going to go give Thomas a kiss. I'll be right back to help with the dishes."

Thomas' eyes lit up when he heard footsteps on the stairs. It wasn't Dad or Elena. Mom was home! He had been in bed already when he'd heard the downstairs door open, thinking it was his dad, coming to tuck him in, but now that he knew it was his mom, Thomas pushed the duvet to the side and rushed out of bed. He opened the door and ran towards his mother, hugging her waist. "Mommy!"

Brennan wrapped her arms around her son and walked them to his bed, where she sat down and pulled Thomas onto her lap. "I missed you, little man," Brennan smiled as she pressed a kiss to Thomas' cheek as she held him tightly against her.

"I missed you too, Mommy. I was afraid I wouldn't get to kiss you goodnight," he told her as he cuddled closely to his mother.

"I'm sorry, honey. I worked too long today. But even if you're already asleep, I'll never forget to kiss you goodnight. Ever." Brennan breathed in his little-boy scent. Innocent, soft. She hoped he'd never want anything to do with a career in law-enforcement or anything else related to violence. "I love you," she told him, kissing his hair as she rocked him back and forth.

"I love you too, Mommy." Tommy yawned and he wrapped his arms around her neck. "Will you stay with me and sing me the bedtime song? Just until I'm asleep."

"Of course I will," Brennan said and tucked him in, then lay down next to her son. She started to sing the bedtime song her own mother used to sing to her. Meanwhile, she caressed Thomas' face and kissed his temple. When his eyes were closed and relaxed, his breathing slow and regular, Brennan softened her voice until she ended the song in a whisper. She gave her young boy one more kiss and then left on tip-toes.

Booth was waiting for her outside of Thomas' room and smiled at her, pulling her back into his embrace. "I love to listen when you sing to our kids," he whispered. "Is he asleep?"

"Yes, he is. Like a baby," Brennan smiled tenderly, her heart overflowing with love for the little boy in the bed. She tightened her grip around Booth. "I could sing you asleep, too," she teased him.

"Let's give that a go." Booth could no longer fight the urge to lift her in his arms and since they were already upstairs, he gave into it. He bent through his knees and swept her off of her feet and into his arms.

"We still need to do the dishes," she protested.

"I'll do them tomorrow, Bones. I'm tired and I want to lay down in our bed and enjoy your presence."

She heaved a small sigh in relief. "Me, too. I'm dead-tired."

Booth carried her into their bedroom and put her down on her feet. "Why don't you take a shower? Elena should be home any minute now. I'll stay downstairs, just until she's home. I'll send her to our room for a goodnight kiss and then we will make it an early night. Would that work for you?"

"That would be great. Thanks, Booth." She kissed him again, needing some more distraction.

Booth deepened their kiss and guided her to the bathroom. "I really have to go downstairs," he told her regretfully, "I don't want Elena to walk into a dark, empty living room."

Brennan nodded. "Go." She gave him one more kiss before he turned and walked out of the bathroom. She undressed and took a brief but hot, hopefully relaxing shower. She dressed into her nightgown and put on her robe and slippers. She went downstairs and saw that Elena had come home. "Shower's free," Brennan announced before drawing her daughter into her arms. "How was your day, sweetheart?"

Elena squeezed her mother. "Practice went really well. I had to climb the rope twice, though," she sighed. "But then," she chuckled, "I guess I had that coming."

Brennan stroked Elena's hair. "I'm proud of you, honey. Aren't you tired?"

Elena shrugged. "The day's over, so I have time to be tired. I did my homework before practice, so.. I'll just have a cup of tea with you. Then I'm taking a shower and then, _finally_, I'm off to bed."

Booth cut in. "Why don't you have a quick shower first? I'll make sure the tea is ready by the time you're done. Mom is tired, sweetheart, so we'll be going to bed soon."

Elena looked up at her mother. "Are you okay, Mom?"

"Yes, darling," Brennan smiled at her daughter and tucked a curl behind her ear. "I've had a long day and I'm tired, but I'm sure you know more about that than I do."

Elena shrugged. "Maybe. I don't think you can compare a job to gymnastics, though. I love being in the gym for four hours each day. I have my friends there, we have a ton of fun and we feel like super humans."

Booth wrapped his arms around his daughter and kissed her cheek. "Come on, smelly super human! Upstairs to take a shower. Be quiet, 'cause Tommy is asleep already. Mom and I will be waiting for you in the living room." When his daughter was on her way, Booth returned to the kitchen and started boiling water. Fifteen minutes later, the tea was ready and his daughter came down the stairs, the spitting image of her mother, dressed in a nightgown, a robe and warm, fluffy slippers.

Brennan had been lying on the couch, already starting to fall asleep, and Elena joined her, snuggling up to her mother. Brennan wrapped her arms around her oldest child.

Booth watched as his girls cuddled together. Even though Elena had changed, she could still sense it when her mom needed to be comforted and she was the first one to make sure that her mom had what she needed. It had improved steadily, from the day that he really managed to gain Elena's trust, but Booth didn't mind. He wanted his daughter and her mother to have the best possible bond. "Here is your tea, girls."

They enjoyed a comfortable, familiar silence, disrupted by a few yawns from all of them and once the cups were empty, Booth stood. "I'm going to lock up and rinse the cups." He looked at Bones. "I did the dishes while you showered. The two of you can go upstairs. Elena, I'll come tuck you in and then we can call it a night as well, Brenn."

"Booth, you didn't have to do the dishes by yourself," Brennan lovingly reprimanded him. "You're just as tired as I am."

Booth winked at her. "Don't mention it. And now, off to bed, the both of you."

Elena got off the couch so her mother could stand up as well. They both gave Booth a kiss before going upstairs. They brushed their teeth together and Brennan walked with Elena to her room. Together, they packed Elena's backpack for the next school day. Brennan then tucked her daughter in, telling her to throw the covers off of her when she heard her dad come up the stairs. Booth always insisted on tucking his children in before bed. Having experienced some of the horrors that came along with Booth's job, Brennan now understood why there were certain things Booth needed to do with their kids. Their innocence was healing. Brennan kissed her daughter goodnight and went to the master bedroom, where she waited for Booth.

Booth made sure that everything was locked up and that his family could rest safely tonight. Turning off the lights as he went, Booth went upstairs. He quickly checked on his son and kissed Thomas' cheek. He closed his eyes and asked God to look out for his son and guard him in his dreams. Leaving the door slightly ajar, he moved to his daughter's bedroom.

Elena quickly threw the duvet off of her when she heard her dad come up the stairs. Right before she got cold, her dad finally entered her room. "Hey, Dad," Elena whispered.

"Darling what are you doing, laying on your bed without covers?" Booth was quick to tuck her in, sitting down on the bed next to her. "There, that's better, isn't it?"

"Much better, Dad," Elena chuckled, then reached out to hold his hand. "You'll take care of Mom, right? She seemed a little pale."

Booth nodded and squeezed her hand. "I know, baby girl, I've noticed, too, and I'll take good care of her. And you," he reached for the teddy bear he'd got her when she was four and placed it next to his daughter's pillow, "you can do the same thing by being safe and have a good night's sleep tonight, okay?" When she nodded, he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Elena?" He knew she recognised the tone of his voice, telling her he was about to tell her something serious and when she looked up at him, he continued softly. "I'm sorry for teasing you about that boy. If you're just friends, then you're just friends with him. And if there is something special between you two, just take things slow. Okay? You're young. And when you do fall in love, I want you to enjoy it, just remember that you don't need to rush, okay? I'm not saying that Alexander is that guy, but someday, he will come and I..." he squeezed her hand, "All I want is for you to be happy, okay?"

Elena smiled at him. "I get it, Dad. I'd probably freak out, too, if I were you. It's okay, I understand. But you can trust that you and Mom raised me right and I won't disappoint you. As far as Alex goes... he's not as bad as I thought he was, but I wouldn't say we're good friends, either. He's not open, you know?"

"Some people aren't baby," he caressed her hair, smoothing it down. "Some people your age have been through a lot and they are a bit withdrawn because of it. If you want to be friends with him, just be patient. Just let nature take its course." Booth leaned down again and hugged his daughter. "Sweet dreams, princess." Booth stood and left the room, turning the lights off.

"Night, Dad. I love you," Elena called after him and closed her eyes, ready to give her muscles an opportunity to recover from that day's training session, and her brain to recover from doing all of that homework.

Booth went into his own bedroom and undressed. Once he was naked, he slipped in between the covers, cuddling up to his wife. "Mmm this makes my day," he whispered as he rested his head on her soft breasts, draping his arm over her waist, one of his legs resting between hers.

Brennan welcomed him into her arms, taking comfort in his proximity. "I understand it does," she whispered and kissed the top of his head. "We have amazing kids."

"We do," Booth agreed whole-heartedly and pressed a kiss to her collar bone. "Good night, Bones."

"Night, Booth." Soon, the sound of slow, relaxed breathing was the only sound in the house.

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We hope this chapter made up for the mean words spoken in the previous one! Next chapter will be more angsty but also... romantic. (I guess it's tradition now to put a making-love scene in these fics.) We hope to receive your wonderful reviews again and in return we'll update as soon as we can!


	8. Chapter 7

Many thanks to our loyal reviewers! Are you ready for some heart-warming fluff? If not, you'd better turn away right now ;).

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**Chapter 7**

That night, Brennan found she couldn't fall asleep. She couldn't shut out the remains and the violence the bones showed her. She crawled into Booth, felt his arms instinctively close around her. She felt so tired, but she just couldn't fall asleep.

Booth had decided to let Brennan work her way through the experiences of that day, but when he realised that it was past midnight already and she was no closer to falling asleep than the moment he had joined her in bed, Booth decided a different approach was needed. "Brenn, what's wrong?"

"Can't fall asleep," she whispered as she rested her head on his chest.

"Why not?" he asked her quietly, gently massaging her neck. She was very tense. He wondered why he hadn't noticed that sooner.

"Because of the remains," she replied. She didn't realise how tense she was until Booth's fingers nearly hurt as he tried to massage her neck.

When she winced, he simply laid his hand over her neck, allowing his body heat to warm her muscles. "It's not good to keep these things inside, Brenn. Why don't you talk to me about what you found out?"

She decided that this was a good time to let go of the rules they'd set and talk about work. "There were a lot of injuries, even to the bones. Once I started noticing them, there was just this air of violence around the remains. All of the recent injuries were peri-mortem. Your victim was beaten to death in a sadistic way, Booth. I even found marks on the bones consistent with electroshocks. I think that, eventually, he received a blow to the head which killed him. There was just... so much pain, and such willingness to inflict pain. It scared me."

He couldn't blame her, of course it would scare her. It scared him, too, what people were capable of inflicting on one another. Booth realised it must've brought back memories of the circumstances in which they had been forced to move, ten years ago. "If you want to stop, just tell me, Brenn."

"I can't stop. The least I can do is let you know what happened to him, so you can hopefully find his murderer, or murderers."

"Darling, you can always stop," he reminded her gently. "How can I help?"

She thought about it for a while. "You could help by putting whoever's responsible in jail. That would help. Make this world safer, one bad guy at a time. Right?" she looked up at him in the dark.

"I will. And you're right. That's why I do what I do, but darling, what can I do for you to make you feel better? Before we went to bed, our daughter told me to take good care of you, because you looked pale. I know you're not okay."

"I don't know if there's anything you can do. I need to stop thinking about it, but I don't know how." Her hand found his in the dark and interlaced their fingers.

Booth squeezed her hand tenderly and leaned over her. It was dark in their room, but he managed to find her lips. Kissing her softly, he scooted closer and pulled her against his body, deepening their kiss.

She kept their entangled hands close to her heart as they kissed. She tried to focus on him, the sensation of his lips against hers. She needed more. Her tongue slipped through her lips, licking his bottom lip, asking him to deepen their kiss more.

Booth instantly complied to her request and parted his lips. A groan rumbled softly in the back of his throat as they kissed lazily, and he gave himself to her. He was hers. And he would give her whatever she needed.

She suddenly found what would distract her enough to be able to fall asleep. She slowly pulled her fingers from his, but kept his hand pressed over her heart, then pushed it a little lower to cup her breast. Her leg slipped over his and she pushed her hips into his. "Make love to me," she whispered.

Booth nodded and softly caressed her breast, cupping the weight in his palm. He moved his lips to her jaw, tracing a line of kisses down to her neck. Booth sat up, pushing the duvet away from their bodies. He reached for the hem of her nightgown and pushed the fabric higher, then over her head, baring her to his gaze. It was too dark in the room though, so he got out of bed and walked to the window. Opening the curtains, the light of the moon and the stars illuminated her soft, pale, creamy skin.

Brennan watched as he quickly took off his boxers, his penis already semi-erect. She welcomed him back in her embrace, curling her body around his, finding his lips on instinct as she kissed him. "I'm so glad you're here," she told him softly.

"I'll always be here, no matter what," he promised her. "Is there anything specific that you want or need tonight, darling?" he asked her in between kisses.

"If I'm able to relax, a massage," she requested, "And to relax, I think I just need this." She reached for his penis and closed her fist around it, gently hardening him. "We don't need to take long tonight," she told him softly. "In the end, I just need to be able to sleep," she smiled apologetically.

Nodding, he slipped two fingers inside of her body, stimulating her as he allowed her to heighten his own arousal. His lips found hers once more as he set a deep, yet slow rhythm.

As the endorphins started to course through her blood, her brain couldn't help but focus on the physical pleasure only. Slowly, she began to relax. "I'm ready," she breathed after a few minutes.

She released him and he withdrew his fingers from within her. Booth positioned himself over her, resting on his forearms and his knees as he slipped inside of her. Tenderly, he cupped her breasts in his hands as he pressed soft kisses to her shoulders and he started to move within her.

She wrapped her arms around him and her leg around his waist, quickly setting the right angle for him to enter her body, rubbing against her most sensitive spot. She raked her fingers over his back, squeezing his buttocks, encouraging him.

"I love you," Booth whispered as she set the pace and he followed her. Booth didn't hold himself back and soon he was panting, his muscles straining due to the exertion. "God, I love you," he whispered before he took her lips in a demanding, passionate kiss.

Often, it were his words combined with the physical sensations that pushed her over the edge. He told her he loved her more than once a day, and every time she felt that his words came straight from his heart. His love for her was palpable, but never more so than in these moments, when they made love to each other, completely focussed on one another, sharing the sensations. She pressed her lips against his, their bodies merging, becoming one. She loved him back. She loved him so, so much.

The love she poured into their kiss left him breathless. Booth reached for her hands and entangled their fingers. "Let go, baby," he asked her.

Her skin was connected to his, there was warmth between them, love immersing them, and after a few more thrusts her love for him coursed through her, dragging her body along into orgasm.

Her orgasm triggered his own and he grunted softly as his seed was released deep inside of her body. He rolled them over, so he could rest his body on the mattress next to her, disconnecting their bodies.

She always felt a small loss when their bodies pulled apart after such an intense connection, but he was always right there to take her back into his arms. "I love you," she sighed happily.

"I love you, too." He hugged her to him as he regained his strength. After a few moments, he released her softly. "I'll be right back." Booth stood and reached for the duvet, tucking her in. He disappeared into the bathroom, where he grabbed the massage oil and wet a washcloth, so he could clean her up. He knew she didn't mind, but when they made love without a condom, he made sure that she felt clean and cared for by the time she went to sleep. He returned to the bedroom and sat down on their bed, pushing the duvet back.

She hooked her hand behind his neck and pulled his face to hers as he gently drew the washcloth between her legs. She kissed him, relishing in the connection that was still there.

After he had tenderly wiped his seed from her body, he quickly rinsed out the washcloth and put it in the hamper in the bathroom. Booth returned the bed and gently rubbed Brennan's belly. "What part do you want me to massage?" he whispered quietly. The only goal he had now, was making her fall asleep.

"My back," she replied, rolling over to give him access to her very relaxed, very sated body.

Since he was aware of the fact that it was easier to fall asleep when it was completely dark, Booth covered her legs and bottom, before he got up to close the curtains. Once the room was plunged into darkness once more, he returned to the bed. Pouring some oil into his hands, he rubbed them together, warming the oil, before he placed his hands on her back. "Are your eyes closed?" he whispered.

"Yes," she replied softly, longing to feel his hands on her bare skin.

"Good, please don't fight falling asleep, darling." Booth placed his warm hands on her shoulders and started the massage. He could feel the knots of stress in her muscles, but he didn't work on dissolving them, just loosened them up a bit. Dissolving them would take more time and wouldn't be painless. And at this point, he was only interested in soothing her to sleep. As his hands caressed, soothed and warmed her body, he comforted himself with the notion that he would have more than enough time tomorrow night, during their date, to shower her with the attention and care she deserved.

She reached back with her arm and gave his hand a squeeze, thanking him, before folding her hand back underneath herself and closing her eyes with the intent of falling asleep.

About twenty minutes later, Booth finally felt her relax. When her breathing evened out, he tucked her in. The oil would get stuck on the sheets, but the quality of her sleep was more important. He got up to wash his hands. Then, he returned to bed. Now that she was asleep, his sleep came easily as well. It made him happy that they were always able to fulfil each other's needs, whatever they may be.

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We hope this was to your heart's content, if so, let us know! Next time, we'll learn more about Alex. Hope you'll stay with us!


	9. Chapter 8

Sorry it took so long to update this week! Here is a new chapter for you, with some suspicious behaviours...

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**Chapter 8**

Booth managed to wake up before the alarm clock had a chance to rip them from their sleep. Immediately, he made the decision to wake his wife up slowly. He rolled over and turned the alarm off. He pulled her into his embrace and did what was normally his Saturday-morning routine. Starting slowly, Booth scattered soft, butterfly kisses over her arms, chest and shoulders. As she started to stir, he gently brushed his lips over hers. "Morning, darling."

Her lips had curled into a smile before her eyes opened. Brennan rolled onto her side, pressing a kiss to his chest. "It's not Saturday, is it?" she asked as she became aware of that harsh reality.

"No, but it is Friday, date night. And when we wake up tomorrow, it will be Saturday," he reassured her. "How do you feel?"

"More rested than expected," she answered him as she rolled back onto her back and stretched.

"I'm happy to hear that." He pressed a playful kiss to her belly and sat up. "You should have a shower, I'll get the kids ready and I'll take them to school today."

"Thanks, Booth. For taking care of me. It really made me feel better. But then, you always make me feel better, which is why I still love you as much as I do."

"I will always take care of you. Besides," he teased her as he stood and disappeared into their en suite bathroom. "I made a promise to your daughter that I would take care of her mother."

"Well, don't give her any details," Brennan chuckled, "But Elena can be proud of you."

Booth chuckled as he quickly took a shower and got dressed. By the time the bathroom was available for Brennan, it was time to get up. "I'll send the kids to our room after breakfast. You take your time." Booth kissed her cheek, then went to wake up the kids. He told both of them to go downstairs for breakfast after they'd got dressed. They had breakfast together and while Booth prepared breakfast for his partner, he sent his kids upstairs to their mother.

"Mommy!" Thomas wrapped his arms around his mother and sat down next to her on the bed. "Your hair is wet," he told her as he snuggled closely to her.

"Yes, because I showered, sweetheart," Brennan smiled at him and kissed her son's hair. "Did you sleep well tonight?"

"Yes." He looked up at her. "Dad said that Elena and I are staying at Grampa's house, but I was wondering, can't I sleep over at Aunty Angela's house? I can play with Michael there..." he pouted.

Brennan stroked his short hair. "But what about your sister, Thomas? Who will she have to play with if you go to Angela's?"

Deflated, Tommy sighed, but nodded. "You're right..." His face cleared up when he got an idea. "We can play a game. I'm going to get one. Thank you, Mommy!" He kissed her cheek and ran out of the room.

Brennan finished putting on her shoes and made sure everything she needed was in her handbag. Then, Elena popped her head around the corner. "Hi, Mom," she spoke enthusiastically.

Brennan could only guess where her daughter got her high energy level from every morning after a long day at school, homework and hours of gymnastics. It was truly remarkable.

"Good morning, Elena," Brennan smiled at her daughter and walked up to her. They embraced each other for a few moments. "Are you ready for a new day? School and gymnastics?"

Elena grinned. "Can't wait. What about you, Mom? You didn't look so good yesterday. I told Dad to fix it."

Brennan tucked Elena's springy curls behind her ear. "That was sweet of you, darling. Your dad made sure I slept well tonight."

Elena held up her hands. "No details. That was all I needed to know." Elena kissed her mother. "I have to go downstairs, Dad is driving us to school. Have a better day today, Mom. I love you."

Brennan squeezed her daughter's hand. "Be safe, honey. I love you, too."

Booth drove his children to school and then headed to the Hoover. He knew Brennan wouldn't waste any time and head straight to work. So did he. Yesterday his search had revealed more questions rather than answers. Over the past seven years, several children had been registered at the victim's house, but he didn't have any biological kids. Booth arrived at his office and sent a quick text to his partner as he got started. 'Eight hours left to go before date night... Thinking of you. Love you, B.'

Brennan received Booth's text as she walked into the Jeffersonian. She smiled and stood in the sunlight for a few more moments before entering to answer his text. 'Can hardly wait. Feeling fit today, thanks to you. I love you back. Bones.'

After reading her text, Booth contacted Social Services. One frustrating hour later, he had learned that even though Jason Doug had managed to dodge almost every single check-up visit as a foster parent, kids had continued to be placed with him. Booth had the name of the teenager who was currently registered to be living in Jason Doug's house. Booth also had the name of the boy's school. He frowned, it was the same school Elena attended.

Booth stood when the phone rang. He sat back down and answered. It was the head of the forensics team with the findings of the search performed at the victim's house. They had found copious amounts of oxycodon, speed and marijuana. Booth thanked his colleague and gathered his stuff. It was time to go to school and talk to Alexander.

Booth drove to the school and was shown to the principal's office. After explaining the situation, the principal went to remove Alexander from his class, so Booth could talk to him. Booth looked up when Principal Banks walked in with the kid that had been at his house just a few days ago. Even though this left Booth reeling, he masterfully hid his feelings and extended his hand to the young man. "Hi, Alexander. You might remember me, I'm Elena's father, Agent Booth. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you." Booth looked up at the principal. "Would I be able to use your office?"

The principal nodded and Booth motioned for the young man to sit down, which he did. Smoothing down his tie, Booth took in Alexander's body language. He was nervous and insecure, but other than that, Booth had no idea how much Alexander knew and how deeply he was involved in this.

Alexander felt faint when he saw Elena's dad. Bad news. "Mister Booth," Alexander nodded to the older man as he gave a weak handshake. He sat down, feeling feverish. His secret could not come out, whatever Elena's dad had to say to him. His secret would not come out.

Booth made the split-second decision to give Alexander the information in bite-sized pieces. "Alexander, can you confirm your address for me?" Alexander cited the address where the FBI had performed the search and Booth looked up questioningly at the young man. "Do you live there?"

Alexander cleared his throat. "Yes, sir," he replied a bit shyly. He found himself wishing stupidly that Elena was here. She wasn't afraid of anything, literally, he was convinced she knew no fear. He felt stronger when she was there. They'd spoken a few more times after she'd saved his ass with the book report. She wasn't arrogant or aggressive, she was bubbly and brave. Her dad was freaking intimidating, though.

"It is my understanding that you live there with your foster father. When was the last time you saw him, Alexander?" Booth kept his gaze on the boy, but he wasn't seeing anything out of the ordinary. Yes, the kid was nervous, but given that there was an FBI agent in front of him, his nerves were easily explained, so Booth went easy on the kid.

"About a week ago, I guess," Alexander answered honestly. Was he in trouble for living in Jason's house without supervision, he wondered.

Booth nodded. "I'm afraid I have bad news for you, Alexander. Jason Doug died." Booth's voice softened as he looked at the boy in front of him. "Yesterday, we searched your house and we found a large amount of pills, marijuana and other drugs. I think Mr Doug's death might have had something to do with that. Is there anything you can tell me about the drugs or the people who might have provided your foster father with the drugs? This is important, so take your time."

"He's - Jason's - dead? Oh, god." Alexander felt the panic rise in his gut, and he dove into his backpack to look for his pills. Where were they, damn it? He honestly couldn't find them, which caused him to actually panic. He dropped his backpack and leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees, his head down and resting in his palms. He tried to control his breathing, but that only made it worse. If Jason was dead, what would happen to him? They all knew him, those people. They wouldn't think twice about killing him, too. And he couldn't ask for protection because then he'd have to tell Elena's dad everything, including his secret, and... no...

Booth hadn't been under the impression that Jason Doug would've been an exceptionally good foster father, or that they would have shared a good connection, but apparently he was wrong, because Alexander took the news especially hard. Getting up, Booth crouched down next to the teenager. "You'll be okay. We will find out what happened and who did this. Right now, I need you to relax, okay buddy? Breathe in. And out. In. And out."

The boy tried but failed. When he started to hyperventilate and rummage through his backpack like crazy, Booth frowned. Elena had told him about what had happened the day Alexander had come to their home. Booth had a proverbial light-bulb moment and gently stilled the teenager's hands. "Are you looking for an inhaler of some sort? Because if you can't find it, I'm taking you to the hospital." That might just be the best choice, because the boy, even through the dark colour of his skin, was looking pale.

Alexander tried to communicate to the man in front of him. "My pills... I have panic attacks..."

"Okay," Booth nodded and grabbed the backpack. "I'm taking you to the hospital, come on, let's go."

Alexander had no choice but to go with him. He was afraid the other students would see him, but he needed to get out of his panic attack. It was the scariest, most exhaustive sensation, and he felt he would die if nobody helped him.

Booth helped the boy into his car and turned the sirens on. He sped to the hospital and rushed the teenager inside. A doctor immediately took him into an examination room. Booth went to sit down in the waiting room and dialled Brennan's number.

"Brennan," she picked up a bit distractedly. She'd been writing the report for the FBI and wanted to make it as perfect as she could.

"Temperance, we have a problem."

"What is it, Booth?" she asked, worry etched in her voice, worst-case scenarios popping up in her mind immediately.

"I did some more research on our victim. He had a foster son. It's Alexander. Elena's Alexander. I talked to him. He had a panic attack and I took him to the hospital. I'm in the waiting room right now." He paused for a moment, giving her some time to let that information sink in. "Bones, during our search of the house yesterday, we found a lot of drugs. Too much to have gone by unnoticed by a 17-year-old. I'm going to talk to him and try to get him to take a drug test. If he doesn't agree, I'm going to have to get a court order."

Brennan needed a moment to take it all in. "Booth, this is your daughter's friend. Try not to be too hard on him. If he has panic attacks, he can't handle a lot more than what's already on his plate. At this point, you don't know if he did anything wrong, so... for Elena, be careful with him," Brennan asked her partner.

Booth knew she was right. He did. It was hard to go easy on the kid, though. His first priority had suddenly become Elena at this stage. Before they had moved to DC, Booth was a cop with the narcotics department. He had seen too many young lives ruined by drugs. He would not stand by and do nothing as there was even a remote possibility that their daughter's name would end up on that list as well. "I'll do my best, Bones, but I can't promise anything. Look, the doctor is back. I'll call you later okay? Love you, bye."

"Do what's right, Booth," Brennan advised him before he hung up. She heaved a worried sigh. She was panicking a little, too, because suddenly their daughter had a link to this horrible case. She didn't want to get her family involved in any of this, especially not her children. She trusted Booth, though. He wouldn't let Elena become a part of this. She hoped her daughter wouldn't have to hear anything about Alexander's involvement in the case. Brennan knew that this was going to have an impact on Elena, though.

After the phone call with his partner, Booth walked into the doctor's office. The doctor informed him that they had given the teenager anti-anxiety medication, but that they wanted to keep him overnight for observation. Booth listened with ever-growing attention and suspicion as he was informed that Alexander had several bruises on his body and that the skin of his wrist was chafed.

Armed with the new information, Booth entered Alexander's hospital room and sat down next to the bed. "You look better."

Alexander nodded slowly. He was tucked in underneath the blankets. The doctor and nurses had seen the fading bruises and the injuries that he had sustained that horrible night. "I feel a bit better."

"The doctor told me that he's worried about you. And I am too, Alexander," Booth told him gently. "Is there anything you need to tell me?"

With the medication working its way through his system, Alexander felt relaxed, slightly woozy and distanced from everything. There was one clear thought in his mind though, Elena's father couldn't find out about the secret or that he used drugs or that he had sold drugs to other people. He would have to go to jail and that was not an option. So, Alexander shook his head. "No, Sir. There is nothing I have to tell you."

Booth leaned in, keeping his gaze locked on Alexander's. "You were not aware of the drugs in your house? I'm giving you a chance, Alexander. I want to help you, but you have to help me help you."

His offer was tempting, but Alexander couldn't take it. "No, Sir. I wasn't aware."

Booth sat back. "Okay, then there is one last thing I want to ask of you. Are you willing to do a drug test?"

Alexander thought about it, then shook his head. "No."

"I will simply get a court order, so you might as well cooperate," Booth told the young man in front of him.

Alexander shrugged. "I don't want to do a drug test."

Booth nodded and stood. "I see. I'll be back tomorrow. With a court order."

As Elena's father stood, Alexander sat up. He was leaving, too.

Booth frowned, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going home," Alexander told him determinedly.

"I really don't think that's a good idea, Alexander. You were admitted for a reason. You should stay." When the boy didn't make any further attempts to get out of the bed, Booth felt he could leave. "I'll see you again soon, Alexander."

As soon as Alexander was alone in the room, he got out of bed and got dressed. He had to get home and figure something out. Once he was dressed, he grabbed his backpack and snuck out of the hospital.

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So, we learned a bit more about Alex's background. Next chapter will be a long one and we'll upload it as soon as it's ready! It will feature Elena and a huge argument. Just a small question in between: who's your favourite character so far? We hope you're staying with us!


	10. Chapter 9

Welcome back! It's time for a clash within the Booth/Brennan family...

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**Chapter 9**

When Elena exited the school building and walked over to the bike shed to go to gymnastics practice, she suddenly noticed her father's car. Or at least, she thought it was her dad's. Curious, she walked up to it. And indeed, her father stepped out and met her halfway. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, Dad," Elena greeted him with a smile as she wrapped her arm around her father's waist. "What are you doing here? Are you taking me to practice?"

"You're not going to practice today. I'm taking you home. Come on." Booth gently took her backpack from her shoulder and put it in the trunk of his SUV. "Get in the car, Elena."

Elena hesitated for a second, then got into the car. "No practice? What's going on, Dad? Is something wrong with Mom or Tommy?"

He shook his head. "No, your mother and Thomas are fine." Booth didn't offer up anything else as he drove them home. He didn't want to do this in his car and definitely not while he was driving.

"Well... am I in trouble or something?" Elena wasn't making sense of the situation, and her father obviously wasn't in a very good mood.

"That depends," he told her curtly. "We'll talk about it at home."

Elena felt angry and crossed her arms in front of her chest, not even wanting to talk to him before they got home. She'd done nothing wrong. She went over the past few days in her head and couldn't find anything. Obviously, her dad was overreacting about something and it would cost her gymnastics practice.

Booth parked the car in front of their house and got out. He could tell his daughter was angry, but that didn't change the fact that she owed him an explanation. They walked into the kitchen and Booth gestured towards one of the kitchen chairs. Booth sat down next to his daughter and reached into his pocket, producing the small, plastic bag with pills inside and slid it over to her, tapping his finger on it. "Do you know what this is?"

"No," Elena answered immediately, giving him a sharp look. She needed to go gymnastics.

"Do not lie to me, Elena," Booth told her sharply. "Last chance. Do you know what this is?"

"You tell me, Dad, it looks like pills in a plastic bag to me but other than that -" Suddenly, she fell silent. "Did you go through my room?"

"What makes you think that I did?" Booth asked her, curious to see if she was going to come clean and admit to him that she had them in her room.

"Because I believe these are the pills from my nightstand drawer. Dad?" She looked at him, expecting an answer. "Why did you go through my room?"

"How did you get these pills?" he asked her, ignoring her question.

Elena put her hands on the table, leaning towards him. "They're Alex's. I found them after he left. I was going to give him back the pills so I put them in my drawer but I forgot. Now answer my question," Elena demanded. "Why did you go through my room?"

"These pills are dangerous hard drugs. Did you take any of them?" Booth continued to ignore her questions, firing off his own.

"What?" Elena exclaimed. "Why on earth would I take pills that aren't mine? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

"Yes, I do," Booth told her grimly. "You didn't answer my question. Did you or didn't you?"

"Come on, Dad, don't you trust me? Do you really think I've taken those pills? Do you really have to ask?" Elena was a little hurt.

"Why is it so hard to answer my question, Elena?" Booth reached for her hand. "Honey, if you're in trouble, you can talk to me."

Elena pulled back her hand immediately. "I'm not answering your question because it's stupid to ask a question you already know the answer to," she spat. "What's going on? What has Alex done? Is he a junkie?"

Realising that she wasn't going to answer his question directly, he changed course. "Yes. I believe he is. He refused a drug test, but I will get a court order." He took a deep breath. "Elena, I'm working on a case. Alexander's foster father has been murdered. We searched his house and found a lot of these," he tapped the bag again, "pills. I went to your school and talked to Alexander. He had a panic attack. I took him to the hospital. I was worried about you and I came home." He looked into her eyes and told her unapologetically, "Yes, I went into your room and I opened every drawer and closet. I looked under your bed and behind your nightstand. Every place I could think of, after I found this bag."

Elena swallowed. "At least you're being honest now," she said quietly and sat back in her chair. "I thought the pills were medication. I was going to give them back to him but I forgot. Do you still want to ask me if I took any of them?" she asked her father, looking into his eyes. She was scared he'd say yes.

Booth nodded. "I've been honest with you, like you said. Is it so strange to expect that same honesty from you, Elena?" Booth asked her softly, afraid that she would refuse to answer his question.

Elena rose from her chair and told him with tears in her eyes, "No. I didn't take any of those pills." With that, she ran upstairs and into her bedroom. Her own father! What had she ever done to betray his trust? Her mother would have never had to ask her that question.

Booth's eyes closed in relief, but shame and regret were close behind. With a lump in his throat, he grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and dialled the familiar number of his partner.

"Booth? Everything okay?" Brennan asked him. She knew the case had just become especially hard on him, with Elena's friend being involved.

"I need you to come home." He could hear the barely held back emotion in his voice and cleared his throat. "I need you to come home, because I made a mess that I can't fix on my own. I'll go to day-care to pick up Tommy. Please, just..." He took a deep breath. "Come home."

Brennan froze on the other end of the line. "Are the kids in danger?"

"No. No they are not. I ... I found drugs in Elena's room and I confronted her, but I..." It was hard to admit this to her, knowing that she would be very upset with him and with reason. He had to put his children's well-being ahead of his own though. "I think I was too hard on her. I just needed to hear her answer, Brenn."

"You didn't think the drugs were hers, did you? You asked her if she took drugs?" Brennan asked him disbelievingly as she shut down her computer and grabbed her coat.

"I didn't ask if they were hers, but I did ask if she took any and if she knew where they came from," Booth admitted.

"Oh, god, Booth, did you have to? Is she very upset?" Brennan was walking over to her boss's office to bring him up to date with what she was doing.

"Of course I had to, Bones! I found hard drugs in my daughter's bedroom! What kind of father would I be if I hadn't made sure?" He sighed miserably. "She ran upstairs and I can hear her cry in her bedroom. So yes, she's very upset. Can you come home?"

"I have to talk to my boss for a second and then I'll come home. Incidentally, check your e-mail, because I just sent you my analysis of the remains. I'm finished with them. See you in a bit." Brennan hung up and walked into her boss's office to request a half day off because of a family emergency. Five minutes later, she was on her way home.

Booth did as he was told and went upstairs into his office. Outside of his daughter's door, he placed his hand against the wood. He wanted to do something, talk to her, explain to her why he had been so hard on her, but his throat constricted and he continued to his office, where he turned on the computer, opened his mail and read through his partner's findings.

When Brennan arrived at their home, she immediately went to her daughter's room. She found Elena clutching Moby to her chest and sobbing on her bed. Brennan sat down next to her and stroked her curls. "I'm here, sweetheart. Dad told me what happened. I can understand that you're very upset."

Elena was relieved that her mother was here. She sat upright and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, hiding her face into her mother's chest.

Brennan gently rubbed Elena's back and kissed her hair until her daughter calmed down a little. "He didn't mean to hurt you, Elena," Brennan told her softly. "You know that your dad has a dangerous job and that ever since we've had to move here, he's been extra worried about his family. Alex is your friend and your dad just found out he's doing drugs and is involved in a murder case. You know your dad, that kind of information will freak him out any day of the week. He crossed a line asking you if you took any drugs, because he knows as well as I do that you wouldn't do that. He trusts you, but sometimes his concern for your safety overrules the trust he has in you. I can assure you that he feels very guilty and sad that he upset you, Elena. It would mean a lot to him if you could forgive him when you're ready."

Elena had listened quietly to her mother. Her tears had stopped, and after a few moments, she nodded her head. She rose and went to the office, where she'd heard her father go. "Dad?"

Booth looked up and saw his daughter standing there. He gently patted the chair next to him, asking her wordlessly to enter his office.

Elena wiped a stray tear off her cheek and sat down on his lap, ignoring the chair he'd indicated. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his chest.

Sighing softly, Booth wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry, baby girl," he whispered, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

That was all she needed to hear. Elena kissed her father's cheek. "I forgive you. I understand you were worried. Do you still trust me?"

"It was never about trust, Elena. You have to understand that I was very worried about you when I found out that Alexander is involved with drugs. And when I found the pills in your room... Sweetheart, drugs have the power to ruin someone's life and they make no exceptions." He caressed his daughter's curls and kissed her temple. "I don't want that to happen to you."

"It won't. I'll never take that crap. I - I don't know what to think about Alex. It's wrong that he does drugs, but I think there's something the matter. I mean, he has panic attacks, and strange marks on his wrists."

"I know, Elena. I witnessed one of his panic attacks and the doctors filled me in on his injuries." Booth slowly blew out his breath. "I need to talk to your mom. Would you mind picking up your brother from day-care?"

Elena shook her head. "Does my face look weird?" she asked him, worried that people, especially her brother, would be able to see that she'd been crying.

"Maybe it's a good idea to wash your face before you leave," he told her as he wiped away the last of her tears. "I love you, Elena."

"I know that. But I need you to know you can trust me. You and Mom raised me right, okay? I know what's right and wrong. And what's plain stupid, like drugs."

"I know you're smart and that you are responsible," Booth told her softly. "But I need to talk about this with your mother. Can you please go and pick up your brother?"

"Yes. I'll make sure he gets home safely." Elena hesitated before she got up from his lap. "So do you trust me or not?"

Booth pulled her back into his embrace. "Yes, Elena. I trust you."

"Good, because I trust you, too," she said and hugged him back. "I'll go wash my face and pick up Tommy." With that, Elena left for the bathroom.

Booth got up and walked into the hallway. "Bones?"

Brennan emerged from Elena's room. She'd made her daughter's bed while Elena talked with her dad. "Did you two make up?" Brennan asked him.

"Yes." He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to their bedroom. "I need to talk to you," he told her softly as he closed the door behind them.

"What's going on, Booth? This case is becoming extremely unnerving."

"I don't want her to see Alexander anymore until I've figured out how involved he is in this case and whether or not he is a junkie," Booth cut to the chase.

"I don't know if she'll accept that," Brennan warned him. "She thinks of him as a friend."

"Brenn, I know she won't agree with this. That's why I need your help. We need to be a team. I know she thinks of him as a friend. And I know that she'll think this is the ultimate proof that we don't trust her, but it's not her that I don't trust. I don't want her to be put in a dangerous situation. We have to protect her."

Brennan nodded and took his hand in hers. "All right. I can see that. But let's try not to directly forbid her anything, it will only make things worse. If she has plans to meet him, go with her, or just give her the information she wants about how he's doing," Brennan advised Booth, who could sometimes forget that his daughter was more stubborn than the two of them combined.

"I don't want her to see him again, Bones. God, don't you understand? I've seen countless teenagers in the short time that I was a cop in the narcotics department. I will not let my daughter get into that situation."

"I know that, but right now, you only have parts of the story. Until you have proof against the boy, Elena won't let you keep her away from him unless you do it subtly."

"And what if I only have the best parts of the story? What if everything else that we still need to learn, is worse than what we already know? I can take her anger Bones, but not her demise."

"Look, let's just try to distract her from Alexander until you have definitive evidence against him. Ask about school and gymnastics, don't mention the case when she's around. Perhaps we should ask her to find a vacation destination so she'll be occupied," Brennan suggested.

"Okay," Booth agreed reluctantly, "but she's not meeting that boy without my supervision. And if she does, she's grounded."

"I don't like those types of punishment - or punishments at all, but okay," Brennan reluctantly agreed, knowing that for Booth, too, this was a big deal.

"I don't like punishing her either, she's a good kid, but I'm not trying to be cruel here, Bones. I'm trying to protect her the only way I know how."

"I know that your intentions are good. Consult me before getting into any kind of punishment, though, because Elena's very sensitive right now and I don't want her to get hurt."

Booth nodded. "I will. Do you think it would be okay with her if I ask her to not meet him on her own?" He sat down on their bed and looked up at his wife.

"Yes, that should be acceptable to her." Brennan walked up to him and leaned in to give him a kiss. "I know this case is hard on you. I'm here if you need me," she told him.

"Oh, I need you," he reassured her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Lay down with me for a moment?" he asked her softly.

They heard the front door close downstairs, signalling that Elena had left to pick up her brother. Brennan took off her shoes and lay down next to him. "Are you going to go back to work today?"

"Yes, I am. I need to talk to the ER doctor, so he can give me a list of Alexander's injuries. Then, I will contact our ME and have her compare Alexander's injuries to those you discovered. She's an old friend. I wish I could stay home, though," he snuggled closer to her. "After all, I promised you a date night."

"We can postpone our date night. I won't hold it against you, I promise," Brennan smiled at him and ran her fingers through his short hair. "And if your ME can't give you conclusive results, I can re-do the comparison for you."

Booth nodded. "I'd still rather go out on a date with you, darling."

"Of course you would," she chuckled. "But it can wait. This case has been eating on both of us; finishing it has priority."

"Yes. Especially now that somehow our daughter got involved." Booth sighed and sat up again. "I really have to get going, Brenn. I'll try to be home as soon as possible."

"Don't worry about us; I'll make sure the kids are safe and taken care of." Brennan got off the bed and pulled him up until he was standing against her. She gave him a long, heart-felt kiss before taking a step back. "I know you can solve this case, Booth."

He nodded. "I will." He kissed her back tenderly. "Will you talk to Elena? About not meeting Alexander on her own anymore? At least not for the time being?"

"I will. It's better if I tell her, anyway." Brennan took his hand and they walked downstairs together. She quickly put the left-over salad from the previous night into his bag, along with a bottle that she filled with green smoothie. "This should help you keep going for a while," she told him as she handed him his bag. "Take your time. I'll wait for you."

"I love you, you know that?" Booth said as he smiled softly. "If she's too upset about it, please call me and then I'll come home. My family is my number one priority." When Brennan nodded, he quickly kissed her lips. "I'm sorry about this. I'll make it up to you." He gave her a hug and then left with the food she'd given him, already forward to returning home.

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So, are you more in Booth's or Brennan's camp on the is-Elena-taking-drugs issue? We promise a fast update and we really hope more of you are inspired to post a review, your words make our day and are a big motivation and reward for our writing!


	11. Chapter 10

Thanks for your reviews! It is time to reveal Alex's secret...

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**Chapter 10**

It had been two days since Alex had disappeared and her parents had been exceptionally quiet on the subject when Elena got a horrible thought. With Alex gone, who was taking care of Ripley at the shelter? She decided to take action immediately and told the school nurse she wasn't feeling well and would be going home an hour early that day. That should give her enough time between school and gymnastics to visit the shelter and see how the dog was doing. Thomas loved Millie, but frankly, Elena liked Ripley better. Not that she'd ever want to adopt him, because the dog was unsafe around her brother, but she cared about the unwanted animal somehow.

Elena left the school building and biked to the shelter. Once there, she didn't see anyone. Was anyone taking care of the dogs at all? She checked some of the food and water bowls and luckily found them to be half full. That was a relief. Elena left her backpack in the area where the food and leashes were stored and continued to Ripley's private area. The dog immediately ran up to her and wagged his tail. "Hey you," Elena chuckled as she opened the small gate slightly so she could attach a leash to Ripley's collar. The dog walked out when she fully opened the gate and licked her hands. "Ew!" Elena exclaimed, but stroked the dog's weirdly-coloured fur anyway. "Let's go for a walk. I don't know where Alex is and if he's coming back, but you need to exercise. Let's go."

Alex had just woken up from his nap when he heard noises. Nobody was supposed to be here at this hour! It was only open to the public during the weekend and he had volunteered today, so nobody else was coming in. Grabbing a broom, he opened the door of the office and looked around the corner, just in time to see someone disappearing through the door with Ripley. "Damn it," he cursed. If it had been any other dog, he could've let it slide. But Ripley was unpredictable and whoever had taken him was in danger. He ran out the door and opened it. "Stop! You can't walk that dog! He's dange... Elena?"

Elena turned around, eyes wide with surprise. "Alex!" Of course. Of course he was here!

"What - what are you doing here?" Alex walked over to her, embracing her without thinking about it.

Elena was about to laugh at him for hugging her as if she was his mother, but as soon as he touched her she sensed that it wasn't funny, that he was in deep trouble and needed help, not someone laughing at him. So, she hugged him back, waiting patiently until he took a step back. "I figured with you gone that no one would walk Ripley, so I came to check on him," she explained her presence.

"I've been here, volunteering. Can I - would you mind if I join you?" Alex asked her after he'd released her.

"Sure," Elena said and they started walking. "So, you probably know that my dad's looking for you. It's pretty impressive that you can hide from the FBI."

"Not really, it just means..." his eyes widened and the revelation hit him, "You haven't told your dad that I volunteer here! And your brother hasn't told him either. Or your grandfather."

"No, we haven't. My dad's freaking out over this case because it has a link to you and you have a link to me. Also... he wasn't too happy about finding your pills in my room. But you didn't murder your foster dad, did you?"

"Is that what this is about? He thinks I...? Oh God...Oh God... Oh God." Alex could feel the start of another panic attack and did what he knew would work without the pills. He sat down next to Ripley and slowly pulled him into his arms. Ripley rested his head on Alexander's shoulder, who closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down.

Elena sat down next to Alex and Ripley. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Is there anything I can do?"

"Don't tell your dad I'm here? Please. I didn't do what he thinks I did. I didn't get along with Jason, but I didn't kill him! He was much bigger and stronger than I am. Even if I had wanted to..."

Elena put her hand on Alex' arm and looked at Ripley's kind eyes. It was as if the dog was really comforting him. "I'll try to protect you," she promised. "But if you didn't kill him... why did you run?"

Alex looked up. Part of him wanted to tell her, but could he really ask her to keep secrets from her parents? "If I tell you, you can't tell your mom or your dad," he warned her.

Elena shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not sure I can make that promise... But I can promise to only tell if it would help you get out of trouble?"

"I'll go to jail if you tell your dad. At least I think I will." He looked at her and reached for her hand. "I don't want to live like this anymore..."

Elena grabbed his hand firmly. "I don't want you to go to jail. You won't if you're innocent, my dad will make sure."

"I'm not innocent, Elena. I - I'm a drug dealer and a junkie," he told her, ashamed of himself.

"I figured as much when my dad told me the pills you dropped were hard drugs. Why would you take that crap?"

"It's an addiction. I can't stop, Elena," he avoided her actual question.

"Of course you can. There are treatments for addictions."

"I don't have money for any of that. And even if I did, I have these panic attacks. I need those pills. I can't stop."

"Surely there's some way we can get you the help you need. Let me look into it, I'll just do some searching on the internet." She was quiet for a moment. "Why did you start taking drugs?" She was more curious than scared and she wanted to know the story behind his drug abuse more than she judged him for it.

"He forced me," Alexander whispered after a long silence. "Jason didn't give me a choice. And once I was addicted, he made me sell the drugs to other people, only then would I get some for me."

Elena felt anger boiling inside her. "What a jerk!" She couldn't handle injustice, and this was one of the worst cases she'd encountered in her young life.

"So you see? I'm just as bad as Jason was." His foster father had told him so, countless times. "It numbs all my pain, so I like it. It makes me not care. I like it that way."

"That's no way to live," Elena told him decisively. "We need to get you off that garbage. Can we continue walking? I'm getting cold."

"Yes." Alex stood and they continued walking. "Will you tell your father?"

"Can I tell him that he used you to deal drugs?" Elena asked her friend, "I won't have to mention that I talked to you today. You could have told me this before you disappeared."

"I'd rather you wouldn't tell him anything. I - I'm sorry, Elena. I don't know what I'm supposed to do and I can't go home."

"Have you been living here? At the shelter?" she asked him.

"As often as I can, but I can't stay here every day. I try to sleep here every night. Usually, Ripley and I share."

Elena thought about that. "Aren't you cold at night?" She wanted to help him.

"I'm inside and Ripley and I share body heat, so I'm not that cold and I'm not alone."

"But you didn't do anything wrong. You were forced to take and deal those drugs. Can't you just tell my dad that? He'll listen to you, I promise."

"And what if he does? If he'll help, he's going to want something in return. He'll demand that I stop dealing and using. I can't just do that, it's too complicated."

Elena suddenly got a great idea. "What if you offer to testify against the drug users or something, and the FBI pays for your rehab in return?"

"I can't stop using, Elena! If I do, I'll... the memories will get stronger and I don't want to think about that."

"Memories?" she echoed. "What memories? You should tell me, Alex. It really does help to talk."

"I think I know what night Jason was murdered. I was out, you know, dealing drugs and I was home late that night. My foster dad wasn't at home, which I was grateful for at the time. Someone kind of attacked me."

"Attacked you?" Ripley stopped walking all of a sudden and pricked up his ears. Probably, he'd spotted another animal. Elena was shocked. "A junkie? Why didn't you to go to the police?"

"It was a middle-aged man, Elena. A strong, horrible man, who I barely got away from. He... he... I don't know how I'm supposed to tell you something like this."

"Then maybe tell Ripley, if that's easier, and I'll just listen in," Elena suggested. When she was younger, she'd often told secrets to Moby, and it helped her back then.

"Okay." Alex hesitated, but when they entered the shelter, he sat down next to Ripley. "Hey boy. I have to tell you a secret." The dog seemed to know how uncomfortable he felt and lay down his head on Alex's lap. "On the night that my foster father was murdered, I went out to sell drugs. I walked by a man. He called to me and I thought he wanted to buy drugs, so I walked over to him. He - he pinned me to the wall and told me to take my pants off." This felt a little bit strange to Alex, and he was mumbling his story to his dog, but at the same time it was so nice to finally describe his traumatic experience. To just get the words out.

Elena turned a little pale. Of course she knew what sexual assault was, but it had never been this close to her. She tried to be as quiet as possible as Alexander told Ripley about his horrific experience. She wasn't sure she was brave enough to hear it, but she tried to be.

"I told him no, of course and I offered all of the drugs I had with me. He threw them away, though, and took his belt off. He held me in place by pressing his body against mine. He smelled horrific, Ripley. Anyway, when he had taken his belt off, he tied my hands together and threw me on the ground. I tried to crawl away but he grabbed my pants and pulled me back to him. He - he managed to pull my pants off. I've never been so humiliated in my life."

Alex's tears finally started to fall, but he bravely continued when Ripley pushed his hand with his snout. "He took my penis in his hand and he tried to push his penis into me, but..." Angrily, he wiped his tears away, "I don't know what happened, but he was interrupted, because he suddenly stopped and left me alone."

Elena's smothered sniffs broke the silence in the shelter. "Sorry," she choked out. That was the worst story she'd heard in her life. She felt so, so sad for Alex. She crawled over to him and Ripley and wrapped her arms around her friend as tears slid down both their faces. "I'm so sorry, Alex."

Since then, he didn't like to be touched, but it was different with her. "Promise me you won't tell your dad," he asked her quietly.

"I promise," she whispered as her heart hurt for him. She held Alex tightly, wishing she could erase his memory. She was frightened by the sexual violence her friend had suffered and how much it affected him.

Alex enjoyed her embrace for a little while, the sensation of being comforted was an alien one and he reluctantly released her. "You should get going, Elena."

"What about you?" she asked him as she drew her sleeve across her cheeks. "Will you stay here?"

"Where else am I going to go?" he shrugged. "I'll be safe here, with Ripley. You have a mom and dad and a brother, you should go home."

"They think I'm at practice. I won't tell them where you are, but I wish you could come home with me. You didn't do anything wrong, Alex."

"Well, I'm sure your dad won't see it that way. Please leave, Elena. At least for now," he lay down next to Ripley, "I'm going to get some sleep. You should do the same."

Elena nodded, respecting his wish. "Just one more question. Do you know who killed your dad? Or who the man is that attacked you?"

"No." He looked up at her. "But that doesn't matter, because you won't talk to your dad about it. Right?"

"I won't, for you," Elena promised. "I'll be back tomorrow after school, okay? I'll bring you some food."

Alex nodded. "Thanks, Elena. I'll see you tomorrow," he whispered before he closed his eyes, not longer willing and able to handle the whole damn world.

Elena stroked Ripley's fur before standing up. "Bye, Alex. Be safe," she told him. Still a bit shaky, she walked to the food room and grabbed her backpack. She checked her watch. She'd be about ten minutes late for practice. That was fine. She got on her bike and raced to the gym, ready to temporarily forget about everything but gymnastics.

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Alex asks Elena to keep his secret a secret, but will she be able to? Isn't that burden too heavy for a 15-year-old? What will she do to help her friend? Well, find out in the next chapter! Your reviews are very much appreciated, don't hesitate to leave one ;).


	12. Chapter 11

Your reviews are awesome! Now, let's find out how Elena deals with Alex' secret, and how Tommy deals with his sister.

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**Chapter 11**

Whenever Elena was upset about something, her training either went extraordinarily badly or miraculously well. Today, it had been the latter. She'd performed no less than ten beam routines without a wobble, just because she was hyper-concentrated so she wouldn't have to think about Alex, scared and alone in the shelter, and the horrors he'd been through. As a result of doing five complete bar routines, fifteen Yurchenko vaults and three full floor routines, she'd been absolutely positively exhausted. She'd almost called her dad to ask if he could pick her up. The advantage of biking home, though, was that it was a low-intensity exercise and her hips and knees liked the weightless rotations. As soon as she dragged herself into their house, she found the nearest couch and fell onto it, utterly spent.

Thomas got up and crawled over to the couch. Their mom and dad were still in the kitchen making dinner. "Hi, sis," he whispered as he crawled onto the couch with her, his special Zorro teddy bear in his hands. Mom had told him to take a shower, so he was already dressed in pyjamas and his hair was still damp.

Elena grunted as she draped her arm around her little brother. "I'm dead," she groaned, "You'll have to carry me to bed."

"Are you sick?" her little brother asked her as he put his hand on her forehead. After a few moments, he shook his head. "No, you're not sick. We still have to eat, maybe that will help."

"I did too many routines. My couches even asked me if I thought I was training with the elite girls because I did the same number of routines. You know what elite is, right? The girls on the national team who come on tv?"

"You did that many jumps? Poor sis," Thomas told her and got up off the couch. "I'll make you feel better!" First he ran upstairs, where he grabbed his sister's pillow and her own special teddy bear as well as one of the Mobys. He went downstairs and gave them to her. Then he ran into the kitchen. "Daddy! Elena needs some of your special hot chocolate!"

Booth frowned and wiped his hands on a dish towel. Now that Thomas had stormed in, he realised his daughter hadn't even come into the kitchen to let them know she was home, safe and sound. Booth walked over to Brennan and gently kissed her cheek. "I'm going to check on her." He turned to his son, "Tommy, that means you have to help Mom set the table, okay?" His son nodded and dutifully, he started setting the table.

Booth left the kitchen and walked into the living room, where he found his daughter on the couch, still wearing her sneakers and her jacket, her head resting on her pillow, clutching the two bears he had given her when she was four. He sat down on the coffee table in front of her and mirrored his son's actions, putting his hand over her forehead.

"I'm not sick, just deceased," Elena mumbled without opening her eyes.

"Your brother seems to think hot chocolate might revive you. Do you want some, sweetheart?" Normally, they weren't allowed, but he could see she was dead tired and Booth was willing to make an exception.

Elena nodded her head and opened her eyes to look at her dad, then closed them again. "I did the same as the elite girls today. I have regrets."

Booth knew that his daughter only overexerted herself if she was worried or if she wasn't feeling well emotionally. He also knew that - just like her mom - she needed her space and she was not to be pushed or prodded until she came to him. After the fiasco with the drugs - which he had flushed down the toilet - he was determined to think before speaking. He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. "I'll help you take your sneakers and jacket off."

"Yes, please," she sighed and rolled onto her back to give her father easy access.

Booth started with her sneakers. He untied the laces, took her shoes off and carried them to the hallway. He grabbed her slippers and put them down next to the couch. When she hadn't moved an inch by the time he returned, he unzipped her jacket and helped her to manoeuvre out of her jacket, like he had always done when she was just a little girl. He grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over her. "Are you hungry, honey?"

"No, but I should eat," Elena yawned.

"Dinner is almost ready, rest your eyes for a moment, I'll come get you when you can eat."

Booth walked into the kitchen and walked over to his son. "How would you like to eat in the living room with your sister? Just this once?"

Thomas' eyes widened and he nodded. "Yes, Daddy! Please! I'll go straight to bed afterwards!"

Booth chuckled. "That's not necessary. Go set the coffee table in the living room for you and your sister. But let her rest."

Thomas wrapped his arms around his father. "I will."

Booth bent over and kissed the top of his son's head.

Brennan put the pans on the table and wiped her hands on her apron. "Dinner's ready. I'm going to check on Elena." Brennan walked into the living room and saw the pile of sore limbs that was her daughter. "Hey sweetheart, are you all right?" Brennan asked her softly as she undid Elena's bun and ran her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"I worked a little bit too hard today," Elena said as she lifted her head and then rested it in her mother's lap.

"Because of what?" Brennan wanted to know.

"Because I was able to focus really well today," Elena replied, not wanting to think about Alex but then feeling guilty for not wanting to think about him.

Brennan sensed that there was more to it, but she let the issue go for the moment. In the end, Elena always turned to either her mother or her father. "You should try to eat. I made a pasta with lots of green vegetables in the sauce, so it should help your body to recover from your workout. After that, I can help you take a quick shower if you're still exhausted. Okay?" Brennan soothingly caressed her daughter's forehead.

"Thanks, Mom. That would be nice," Elena said and made an attempt at a smile.

Brennan knew that her daughter hadn't forgotten about Alexander, and she understood Elena might be more than slightly upset about the entire situation. They'd talk more about it once the case was closed. "I'll go get you some dinner, honey," Brennan told her after a few moments, and gently got out from underneath Elena.

Thomas entered with glasses and cutlery. "Dad said we could eat here, isn't that nice?" He approached his sister and sat down in front of the couch, resting his chin on his hands. "Dad is making you hot cocoa..."

Elena smiled at her little brother and pushed herself into a sitting position. "I'll share my hot cocoa with you, brother." She pulled Thomas onto her lap and cuddled him. "You take really good care of me."

"You're my sister, I love you," Thomas said softly as he wrapped his arms around her neck. "When I'm tired you help me, too."

Booth walked in with two full dinner plates and smiled at the picture his kids made. "Come on kids, don't let your dinner get cold." He put the plates down and went back into the kitchen, filling their glasses with water. "If you need anything, Mom and I are in the kitchen. Enjoy." Booth returned to the kitchen and sat down next to Brennan. "What do you think is up with her?"

"The whole situation with Alexander, would be my guess," Brennan told him. "What do you think?"

"Probably," Booth grumbled. After he had talked to the boy, he had disappeared, fallen off the radar, quite some feature for a seventeen-year-old junkie. "You don't think she's still upset with me, do you?"

"I don't think so," Brennan said. "Maybe it's not good that we're not talking about the case. Maybe she'd feel better if she knew more about what's going on."

"Bones," Booth sighed, "you know that's not possible. I'm an FBI Agent, this is confidential."

"I think you should talk to her about her friend, Booth. Elena almost got involved with the case. I think she's not asking us about the case because she knows it's confidential, but it's eating at her and this is how she deals with her feelings. She works herself to exhaustion."

Booth nodded. "I can do that," he told her as he pushed around his food. "You know, maybe I should've stayed a mechanic."

Brennan placed her hand over Booth's. "I know this is all hitting a little close to home, but it is the way it is. You're handling it as well as you can."

"Am I? Bones, our little girl nearly worked herself to death today. Clearly there's something on her mind and she doesn't feel like she can talk to us, otherwise she would've done it by now. I just... I know I was a bit harsh on her, but I was just worried. I think I'll talk to her over a cup of hot chocolate while you tuck Thomas into bed if that's okay with you."

"All right. Don't make it too long, though, because she still needs to take a shower. Don't worry, Booth. You're still a good father," Brennan assured him.

"And you are the best mother I could've ever wished for my children, Brenn." Booth leaned over to her and kissed her softly. "I'm really not hungry, I'm going to see if they need anything. Do you need something to drink or anything else?"

"I'm good. Go ahead," she smiled encouragingly at him.

Booth got up and walked into the living room. Thomas had nearly finished his plate and when he looked up, he grabbed his plate and returned to the kitchen. He sat down next to his mother and continued eating. When his mom stared at him, Thomas shrugged his shoulders. "I don't want you to eat alone, Mommy. Can we go to the park in the weekend?"

Booth sat down next to his daughter and gently guided her into his embrace. "You're worried about him, aren't you?"

Elena hesitated for the longest time. Eventually, she nodded. She had to be careful not to say anything she couldn't say, now.

"You can talk to me, honey," Booth coaxed her gently.

"I just know that he seemed to be in trouble, and hurt, and nice, in the end. And then he has a panic attack and he runs and now he's gone," Elena tried to avoid having to lie to her father while giving him an answer.

Booth hugged his daughter. "You have a right and reason to worry about him, Elena," he told her softly. "I just don't want you to bottle all of this up inside of you. Mom and I are here if you want to talk."

"Not this time," Elena said, "You're both working on the case, I know you don't want me to ask about it and I know that even if I ask, you're not allowed to tell me anything."

"Okay." His brilliant daughter was right of course, but he hadn't realised how hard this was on her. "What worries you the most? Can you tell me that?"

"I worry about where he lives and if it's safe. But also... if he's a drug addict, and his drugs were here, what will he have to do to get his drugs? Or what will happen if he doesn't get them? What if he - accidentally or not - kills himself?" Elena started enumerating all the things that concerned her.

"We can help him with his drug addiction, he's still young Elena, he has his whole life ahead of him. Do you think he might do that? Take his own life?" Booth wrapped his arm around his little girl.

Elena crawled up against her father, needing his protection. "If he comes back, can the FBI put him in a rehab program?" she inquired.

Booth thought about it for a few minutes and nodded. "We could probably help him to fight his addiction, yes."

"Probably? Why would he come back to testify for you if it was just a possibility that he would get help?"

"Sweetheart, that is not just my decision. I would definitely recommend it, but there are other people who would have to agree."

Elena made sure she'd remember what her father said. She'd tell Alex everything. "Dad? Do you think Alex killed his foster father?"

"I don't know, sweetheart. When I saw him, when I spoke to him and took him to the hospital, I noticed that he had several injuries. Those could've been the outcome of a fight, but... he panicked. In my experience, murderers don't panic. Not afterwards, they could panic in the moment and do stupid stuff, but by the time I talk to them, they either want to confess or they're determined to keep it a secret. I do think he is keeping certain things secret, like his drug addiction, but no," Booth kissed his daughter's temple, "I don't think he did it, no matter what the evidence says. I need to talk to him, so that I know I'm interpreting the evidence correctly," he answered her, wanting to truly help her to understand the situation, while remaining as vague as possible.

"So you were just going to talk to him, not arrest him or anything?" Elena asked, glad that her father was giving her responses.

"Yes. I need him to explain some things to me, but I don't think he was responsible. I need to talk to him, so he can help me understand better, so that I can make other people listen," Booth tried to explain himself and his actions.

"So he shouldn't be afraid," Elena concluded, having calmed down her raging brain a bit.

"No, sweetheart, he shouldn't be afraid." Following his instincts, Booth rested his cheek on top of Elena's head and whispered softly, "Please know, that I'm asking you this, as your dad, not an FBI Agent, so you can tell me honestly. Do you know where he is?"

Elena froze in his arms. She was torn between keeping her word to Alex and knowing that it was better for him if her dad found him. "I'm not sure..."

Booth tightened his grip around her and gently rubbed her back. "Usually that means that you do know, but that you don't know if you can tell me. I'm your dad, honey, you can tell me anything. I will respect your choice though, and I won't ask again. Just - if that's the case, that you know, but that you don't know if you should tell me? Just know that a burden shared is a burden halved." He kissed her temple and changed the subject. "How about that hot cocoa?"

"Yes, please," Elena said, relieved that her father wasn't pressing the issue, because she would have probably ended up telling him everything she knew.

Booth got up and went into the kitchen, where he found mother and son doing the dishes together. He grabbed a cup and poured the hot cocao into it. "I think I'm going to read a chapter or two from Elena's favourite book out loud. Would you two like to join us?"

Brennan smiled at Booth, he seemed to be dealing with this. "Go ahead, honey," she told her son, "I'll join you in a minute."

Thomas left and Booth walked over to her. "You did talk to her, right?" he asked her quietly, his words barely a whisper. "You know, about not meeting him on her own?"

Brennan looked at him. "I didn't."

Booth leaned in and kissed her. "Thank you."

"Thank you?" Brennan repeated, surprised. "I figured you'd have wanted me to tell her not to meet him."

"I don't know what made you decide to not tell her not to see him, but you did good, Bones. I'm positive that she saw him. And now, I don't have to waste my energy or jeopardise the relationship with my baby girl, to get her to confide in me." Booth kissed his wife again and returned to the living room, where they all sipped cocoa and listened as Booth read from Herman Melville's Moby Dick.

That night, Elena had no skills and routines to focus on, and all she could think about was Alex. Wouldn't he be cold? Here she was, well-fed, well-loved, showered and safe in her soft, warm bed. Alex would be on the floor with no one but Ripley. He had to be cold. And lonely. Scared. He could be experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Perhaps he was having nightmares about the man who attacked him. Elena tried to push her thoughts away, because she needed to sleep.

She couldn't very well go outside to check on her friend, now. Her dad would notice for sure and she'd lead him straight to the shelter, betraying Alex... Oh, how she wanted to take her dad to the shelter, so they could make sure Alex was safe and cared for as well, like her.

Eventually, Elena fell into a slumber, and after a while, she was finally asleep. In her dreams, though, she was still thinking about Alex. She saw him walk into an alley, and a dirty man sexually assaulting him, after which Alex had to go home feeling upset and ashamed. And then when he finally came home, nobody cared for him or what happened to him. He was alone with his feelings, and when it got too overwhelming, he needed drugs. Elena understood that. In her dream, she wanted to walk up to Alex and tuck him in, or just hold his hand, but something held her back. Suddenly, they were back in the alley, and Elena screamed at him not to go in there, and then she wanted to come and save him, but again, she was held back as if she was behind glass.

With tears running down her cheeks, Elena woke up. She felt deeply upset, and put on her robe and slippers. She tip-toed downstairs, holding Moby to her chest as she continued to cry quietly. She couldn't sleep knowing that Alex wasn't safe. She had to help him, even if he didn't want to be helped.

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Wondering what Elena's going to do about the situation? Stay tuned ;).


	13. Chapter 12

Thanks for staying with us and for your wonderful reviews - they made our week! We're happy to be able to reward you with an extra long chapter. The plot gets moving...

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**Chapter 12**

Booth was startled awake. At first, he thought it was Brennan. When they had just moved into this house, he'd become very sensitive to her and how she reacted to nightmares. He'd honed his comforting and soothing skills and so the first thing he did, was check on his sleeping partner. When Booth noticed she was still asleep, he lay back down.

Just a few minutes later, he could hear a door opening. From the sounds that she made on the staircase, Booth knew it was his daughter. Concerned, he sat up and checked the clock. 2.30 AM. His poor girl should have been fast asleep after the rigorous workout she'd put herself through.

Booth quietly got out of bed and grabbed his robe. He went downstairs and when he entered the living room and turned on the light, he wasn't surprised to find his daughter on the couch. He sat down next to her and invited her into his arms.

Elena immediately leaned into her father, but even his protective embrace didn't stop her worries.

"Talk to me, baby girl," Booth murmured soothingly.

"I'm really worried about Alex," Elena spoke in an unsteady voice. "I want to help him so badly. He didn't do anything wrong and he needs help."

"Did you see him today, Elena?" Booth asked her as he lovingly lifted her chin, so he could look into her eyes.

Elena nodded, giving up the fight to keep everything a secret. Not telling her dad meant hurting Alex.

"I thought so, do you know where he is?"

"If he didn't go someplace else, yes," Elena told her dad, relieved that she was sharing her burden, as he'd put it.

"What did you two talk about?" Booth asked his daughter, for now not reacting to the fact that his little girl knew where his murder suspect was. His first priority right now, was Elena.

"I asked him where he'd been sleeping, and what had happened to him. He also told me he's addicted to those pills because they're the only thing that calms him down when he has a panic attack." Elena looked at her father. "I asked him if he murdered his foster father. He didn't do it, Dad. I know he didn't. He was forced to take drugs and deal them. Can you please, please be nice to him? He's been through some horrible things. I'm the only person who knows about what happened to him and it's so terrible I can't even sleep. So please help him and don't scare him. Please, Dad," Elena begged her father.

"Hey, hey, shh, it's okay. What you just said, validates the conclusions I've come to. Where is he, honey?" Booth was more convinced than ever that Alexander was just a victim in this whole mess and Booth had to find him, to help the boy and to solve this murder case.

Elena wrapped her arms around her father. "I promised not to tell you," she said quietly.

"Okay, here's the deal. If you tell me where he is, I will go and pick him up, provided that he isn't high. He can spend the night here, in the guest bedroom, with the door locked." Elena was about to protest, but Booth motioned that she shouldn't speak up. "I won't write any of this down and I won't report it, so we can just claim that he showed up here in the morning, that way he doesn't have to spend the night in jail. In return, you tell me where he is and I want you to tell your mom what he told you. Sharing the burden, remember?" Plus, if she didn't tell him, Booth had plausible deniability, which he would need badly. He was flirting with the edges enough as it was. "Deal, Elena?"

"On the condition that you won't treat him like a criminal, deal. He might hate me for this, though," she agreed hesitantly.

"No, he won't. He may not like it, but he won't hate you for it. I'm going to write a note for your mom and get dressed. I suggest you do the same."

Elena felt her body tremble. "I'm really scared I made a mistake, Dad," she told him. "I betrayed a friend who trusts me."

"No, sweetheart," Booth pulled her into his embrace and realised it was up to him to make Alexander understand that what his daughter had done, had been done out of care and concern, friendship and a desire to help. He kept his arm around his daughter as they went upstairs and whispered, "You did the right thing. On second thought, I think you should stay home with Mom and Thomas. You're tired and the fact that you're trembling is worrying me, princess." Booth pressed a kiss to her cheek and led her to the room where Brennan was still asleep in bed. "Will you promise me to talk to your mother?"

Elena nodded, but then, she wanted to go with him. "Dad, I have to come with you so Alex doesn't get frightened. I'm trembling because I'm scared, but I think I should go. I could help him feel safe."

Booth crouched down next to the bed. "Are you sure? Because you can come. I want you to stay close to me, but you can come if you'd like."

Elena nodded her head. She was sure it was the right thing to do. "Can I tell Mom what we're up to?"

"Sure, she'll just get worried if she wakes up and finds that we're gone. I'm going to the bathroom and get dressed, okay?" Booth turned the lights on and left for the bathroom when his partner stirred.

Brennan groggily opened her eyes. "Is something wrong?" she mumbled.

Elena lay down next to her mother, snuggling up to her. "I couldn't sleep because of what happened to Alex," she whispered, "I'm sorry for not telling you, but I accidentally met him today. He told me about unspeakable things that happened to him. I told Dad I'd take him to Alex, because I know where he is. We're going to get him now and he can stay with us tonight. I'm really, really worried about him," Elena summarised for her mother.

Brennan caressed her daughter's cheek. "You're a good person, Elena. Whatever you think is right, is probably the best thing to do. I'll have some tea ready for when you get back, okay?"

Elena smiled and kissed her mother's cheek. "You're the best. Also, I know he didn't kill his foster father, so don't worry. He was forced to take those drugs, so he can't help being addicted to them. I feel really relieved that we're going to get him, because I'd blame myself if something bad happened to him."

Brennan nodded. "You did good, sweetheart. You should get dressed. I'll call you in sick for school tomorrow."

Elena thanked her mother again and hopped off the bed despite her protesting muscles, tip-toeing into her room so as to not wake up her brother. She put on comfortable, warm clothes and went downstairs, where she waited for her father.

Elena had told her father how to get to the shelter, then asked him to stay in the car so Ripley wouldn't get scared and Alexander wouldn't panic. She felt nervous but relieved, because she could offer her friend a safe place to stay.

Alex couldn't sleep. He'd got a few dog blankets and had wrapped them around himself. He had scooted close to Ripley, but it didn't really help. He was still cold. Still alone, and now that he had spoken to Elena about what had happened to him, the flashbacks had only increased. He looked up when he heard something. Ripley's ears went up, and he sniffed, but to Alexander's relief, Ripley simply closed his eyes again. The dog had determined that whoever the visitor was, he or she was welcome. "Who -" Alex called, trying not to be nervous, "Who's there?"

"It's Elena," she called softly and squatted down next to Ripley's area. "Alex? Are you okay?"

"Elena?" He couldn't believe it. "Why are you here? It's the middle of the night! Please don't tell me you snuck out at this hour, that's dangerous!"

"I couldn't sleep knowing you were here alone. Will you please come and stay in my house?"

Alex snorted, "Your dad will throw me in jail. Look, you can stay here until dawn, I don't want you to go home alone in the middle of the night."

"What if my dad's okay with it and he promised not to throw you in jail?" Elena asked him carefully.

Alex gasped. "You told him? What did you tell him?" he asked worriedly as he sat upright.

"You don't have to panic, I didn't give him details about what happened to you. I - I did tell him that you were forced to take and deal the drugs, but only so he knows that you're innocent. Please come with me."

"You broke your promise," Alex murmured, "Your dad's here, isn't he?"

"I'm really sorry, but isn't it more important that you're safe? I was literally worried sick. Either we stay here and freeze to death together, or you can come with us and sleep in a clean, warm bed. You'll have to talk to my dad eventually, but he knows you're innocent. He's convinced of it. He'll have to talk to you but he doesn't believe you had anything to do with the murder."

"He doesn't?" Alex hesitated. He was really cold and hungry. "Can you promise me that I won't have to go to jail tonight? Because if that's the case, I might as well stay here."

"I can really honestly promise you that. But if you can't trust me, we can go to my dad and you can ask him yourself."

Alexander hesitated, but eventually stood. "I just want to hear what he has to say," he told Elena. Then, she took his hand and together they walked towards the black car.

Elena felt protective of her friend and wished that her dad wouldn't say the wrong thing that would make Alex run again. She knocked on the window. "Dad? Alex wants to talk to you."

Booth nodded. "Why don't you get into the car, honey? It's cold," he told her as he exited the car. His daughter – for once – did as she was told and got into the car. Booth looked at Alexander. "You can come home with us. You'll sleep in our guest bedroom. Of course, I expect you to stay in the guest room until morning and I don't want my son to see you. He won't be able to keep this silent and as you can understand, I don't want this to be known any more than you do. Tomorrow, I want you to come with me to the Hoover. If you tell me everything you know, I will do whatever I can to get you help with your addiction."

Alex let out a shaky breath. He was shaking from the cold. This was an offer he simply couldn't resist if he wanted to have a future. "All right," he agreed quietly, hoping he was making the right decision. Elena was kind to want to help him like this. He shouldn't disappoint her.

Booth opened the door of his SUV. "Get in then, it's the middle of the night and we all need to sleep."

"Thank you, sir," Alexander mumbled and got into the car. It was heavenly warm, and it was just such a relief to at least be safe for now. When Elena turned her head around to look at him, he gave her a nod that it was okay.

Booth started the car and drove them home. He told both teenagers to be quiet when they entered the house. "Elena, will you show Alexander to his room?" Booth studied the young man. This boy wasn't a murderer. He looked lost and troubled. That kid was as much as a victim as James Doug was. "When was the last time you ate?"

Alex shrugged his shoulders. "A while ago," he answered vaguely, because he honestly couldn't remember.

"I'm going to make you a PB&J sandwich. Elena, there are pyjamas in the guest bedroom."

"Come on," Elena smiled at Alex and took him to the guestroom. She was surprised to already see the stuff he'd need laid out on the bed. "Mom," Elena smiled, "She must have known you were going to come with us. See? You're welcome here."

Alex wasn't about to argue, even though he knew that this was just a solution for one night. "Is there some place I can change?"

"I'll show you where the bathroom is," Elena said and showed him. Then, she took her friend into the living room, giving him a small tour of the first floor of their home. They ended in the kitchen, where they found Booth and Brennan making Alex something to eat and something warm to drink.

Brennan walked up to the boy, immediately feeling sympathy for him. He looked absolutely miserable and very much in need of some care. Brennan shook the boy's hand. "I'm Temperance Brennan, Elena's mother. I'm glad you're here."

"Thank you, Ma'am, for inviting me into your home." Alex looked over at Booth, "And you too, Sir. I promise I will do my best to answer any questions you may have."

Booth nodded, then turned to his daughter. "You should go upstairs with your mom and go to bed." He walked over to Elena and hugged her. "Remember your promise, sweetheart," he told her so quietly that only she was able to hear it.

Elena nodded. "Be nice!" she told her father before kissing his cheek and giving Alex a hug. "I hope you'll sleep well, here."

"Me too," Alex told her quietly as he hugged her. "Goodnight. Thank you, Elena."

Elena gave her father a stern look before going upstairs with her mother, warning him to really be nice to her friend.

"Goodnight, Alexander," Brennan said and wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders. Together, they walked upstairs.

When his girls had gone upstairs, Booth addressed their unusual guest. "A few rules for the remainder of the night. I would appreciate it if you stay inside the guest room. If you need to use the toilet, you can, of course, but I don't think there is any other reason to leave the guest room." Booth gave the boy a plate with sandwiches. "Tomorrow, I want you to come to the Hoover with me. Don't mention that you were here tonight." He stood and handed the young man a cup of hot cocoa. "Other than that, there is one clear rule for tonight." Booth's brown eyes pierced Alex's darker ones. "You do not go near Elena's room. Or Tommy's. Do I make myself clear?"

Alex felt intimidated and nodded obediently. "I get it," he said as he couldn't help but grab one of the sandwiches and take a big bite. A sandwich had never tasted so good before.

"Good. Did you take any pills tonight?" Booth cut to the chase.

Alexander shook his head. "I don't have any. You've got them."

"When was the last time you took one? Those are hard drugs, you can't just quit."

"The day Elena took me here for my book report," Alexander told him honestly, able to look into the older man's eyes when he gave his answer.

"After we've talked, I'm taking you to the hospital, so you can do this in a controlled manner. If you try your very hardest, I will make sure you don't need to worry about the money."

"Thank you, Sir," Alex replied gratefully. He was afraid of rehab, but he knew it was his only chance. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go to sleep. I'm very tired."

"I don't mind at all. I would appreciate it if you could wait until Tommy left for school, he won't know what he can and can't tell at school and that just might cost me my job. I'll come and get you when Tommy leaves tomorrow. You get to sleep in. Come on, I'll show you to your room." Booth and Alex walked to the guest room. Booth closed the door after the boy had entered. "Goodnight, Alexander."

"Goodnight, Sir. And thanks... for this. I appreciate it." Alex put on the pyjamas and crawled between the clean sheets. Heaven...

Once upstairs, Elena wrapped her arms around her mother. "I feel so relieved, Mom. I think I did the right thing."

Brennan hugged her daughter, soothingly caressing her hair. "You did the right thing. I'm proud of you, I know that it couldn't have been easy." She leaned back and smiled at her daughter. "You should change back into your nightgown," she suggested softly.

"Yeah, I know. I should sleep because I know I'll feel more dead than alive tomorrow. Look at my wrists. My grips chafed them even though I put on tape and everything." Elena showed her mother her chafed and bruised wrists. "At least now I know I won't go Elite," she grinned.

"And neither are you going to school tomorrow," Brennan told her softly as she got back into bed. "So, what does your dad wanted you to talk to me about?" Brennan smiled lovingly. "You know, for someone who is so adapt at reading people - especially me -, your dad sure has a tendency to forget that I've known him as long as he's known me. And that I can read his actions just as well." Her voice became a bit more serious, a bit more concerned. "And when your father agrees to take you out in the middle of the night, that leads me to conclude that something serious is going on."

Elena nodded after quickly pulling her nightgown over her head and sitting up against the headboard of her bed. "Yeah," she said quietly, "I've never heard something so terrible in my life."

Brennan turned, so she was facing her daughter. She wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head as Elena settled against her. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"Yeah, except I promised not to," Elena sighed.

"Would you say it is a secret that protects or that hurts you and him?" Brennan asked, continuing to comb her fingers through her daughter's curls.

"That's a good question. Well, it hurts me because it gives me nightmares, and it hurts him because he's not getting any help to deal with it."

"It's not good to keep those things a secret, then, Elena. You can tell me."

Elena nodded as she breathed in her mother's reassuring scent. "First of all, Alex was treated really badly by his foster dad. His foster dad's a drug dealer and he wanted Alex to deal for him so he got Alex addicted to drugs. In return for pills, Alex would deal for him. Then one night, and Alex assumes this is the night when his foster dad was murdered, Alex stepped into an alley. There was a man, and he -" Elena felt a lump in her throat as she thought about it again, "That man tried to rape Alex. Alex got away, but there was no one there to help him and nobody cared about him. He was all alone with it, and he's been having panic attacks ever since, and nobody helps him with those, either."

"So he takes the drugs," Brennan stated softly. "I can't say I blame him. Oh, sweetheart, that is awful. Now I understand why you trained as hard as you did and had a nightmare. Do you think he will be able to tell your dad?"

Elena shook her head. "No. He cried and almost had another panic attack when he told me. It was very hard for him."

"I can only imagine." After all, she'd had nightmares for weeks at the mere thought of being assaulted sexually, she couldn't fathom what it would actually feel like. Furthermore, Alex was a boy. Society had a lot less compassion and understanding for male victims of sexual assault.

"He feels really ashamed, but he shouldn't, because nothing's his fault. I would have done the same thing in his situation, if I had no one." Elena wrapped her arms around her mother tightly. "I'm really lucky to have all of you."

"And we're all lucky to have you, honey." Brennan hugged her daughter and they enjoyed a comforting silence. Brennan felt a bit torn. She'd never knowingly kept secrets from Booth on purpose and one part of her wanted to tell him, but the other part wanted to honour Alexander's wishes. "Do you think we can convince him to tell your dad?"

"I could try," Elena said, "Maybe he'll let me tell Dad. If Dad gives me a chance, I can talk to Alex tomorrow."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Brennan said. "Alexander's really lucky to have a friend like you. How did he react when you two arrived there?"

Elena told her mother what had happened. "I went to see Alex alone and convinced him to come with us. He told me I broke my promise, which is the truth, but he decided to come when I assured him he wouldn't go to jail."

"In time he will realise how much you helped him, I promise," Brennan reassured her daughter. "Do you feel better now?"

Elena nodded. "At least now I know he's safe and you were both nice to him, so I hope he feels a little bit welcome as well."

"I hope he does," Brennan kissed her daughter's temple. "Do you want to sleep here? With me and dad?"

"Can I really?" Elena asked, chuckling. "Don't tell anyone, okay?" Secretly, Elena still loved to fall asleep in her mother's arms, her dad right next to them, keeping them safe. They'd slept like this a lot when they'd first moved here and didn't feel safe yet. There wasn't a safer place on earth, or a place that held more love.

"Of course not. And you and Tommy will always have a place here when you need us. Let's lay down. I'm sure your dad won't mind."

"If he does mind, he can take my bed or the couch, so he can guard Alex which I'm sure he means to do. Anyway, this bed's taken." Elena laid down with her mother and crawled up against her.

Brennan chuckled. "You'd better be ready to share, because I won't let him sleep on the couch and he won't sleep in your bed."

Booth walked in to find both of his girls cuddling in bed. They both had a soft smile on their face and he sat down next to them. "Feeling better, honey?"

"Yes, a lot," Elena told her father. "Dad, you were nice to Alex after I went upstairs, right? You really can't stay anything harsh to him. He'll get another panic attack and he'll need drugs to deal with it." Though Elena was well aware her dad meant well, she also knew that he could get intimidating when he thought he needed to protect his family.

"I just told him he has to wait in his room until after Tommy leaves tomorrow and that he's not supposed to leave his room until then." Wisely, Booth didn't mention the fact that he had specifically forbidden the boy to look out Elena in her room.

"Well, I just hope you at least tried to be nice," Elena told him. Then, her voice softened. "Thanks for helping him, Dad."

"It's my job to help those that are in need of help, sweetheart." When she didn't make any move to get up, Booth went into the en-suite bathroom and changed into his pyjamas again. He lay down next to his girls and got settled under the covers. "This has been a while," he chuckled.

Elena turned and gave her father a kiss. "Don't tell anyone. Good night, Dad. I love you." She turned back into her mother's arms and finally closed her eyes. "I love you, as well, Mom. A lot."

"I love you, too, honey." Brennan kissed her daughter's cheek and then reached over Elena to take Booth's hand in hers.

Booth brought his wife's hand up to his lips and tucked both of his girls in, their joined hands resting on Elena's back as they fell asleep together.

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We'd love to hear how you liked this chapter. Do you think Alex and Elena might be falling for one another? Or maybe Alex for Elena or the other way around? For next chapter, you can expect some serious drama... we hope you look forward to it!


	14. Chapter 13

Thanks for your awesome reviews! They are hugely appreciated, thanks so much! We promised you some drama, here it is.

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**Chapter 13**

That morning, Thomas had gone into Elena's room to kiss her goodbye because he was leaving for school. Elena had slept like a bear during hibernation, and she could barely move because her entire body hurt. She just managed to wrap an arm around her little brother and give him a kiss, wishing him a fun day at school. When Thomas had left, Elena grit her teeth and got out of bed. She put on a robe and warm, fluffy socks. She managed to get herself downstairs and glanced outside. Her father's car was gone, meaning he'd brought Thomas to school. Good. Elena went to the guest bedroom and knocked on the door. "Alex? Are you awake?"

Relieved that it was Elena's voice, Alex approached the bedroom door. "Yeah, I am. Did your brother leave for school already? I heard a car, but I wasn't sure." The window didn't look out on the driveway and Mr Booth had made it very clear that Alex wasn't allowed to leave the guest bedroom with Thomas still in the house.

"Tommy's off to school, looks like my dad's driving him. Are you hungry? We can have breakfast. I think I heard my mom in the kitchen."

Slowly, Alex opened the door. "Can we talk first?" He'd had a very bad night. He hadn't been able to take his pills and he felt extremely on edge.

"Sure," Elena said and went inside, closing the door behind her. They sat down on his bed, Elena moving like an old woman. She looked at her friend, waiting for him to start talking.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Alex asked Elena as he looked up at her anxiously. "I mean, your dad may believe that I'm not a murderer, but he knows I use and sell drugs. He's going to put me in jail, isn't he?"

Elena shook her head. "You're a victim in this case, and my dad believes that. He's going to help you get into rehab and you won't have to pay for it. I specifically forbade him to put you in jail. He looks tough but he's actually scared of me, so he won't want to make me mad at him," Elena smiled mischievously. She knew her dad inside and out; as a consequence, she could get him to do what she wanted, though she didn't take advantage of him often. Only in emergencies.

Disbelievingly, Alex looked at her. "Your dad is an FBI Agent. I'm pretty sure he has to do what the law says. Look," he scooted a bit closer to her, "No matter what happens, I just want to thank you." Clumsily, Alex wrapped his arms around her. "You were really kind to me and I will never forget that."

Elena hugged him back. Her muscles protested stiffly, but she needed to hug him back. This meant a lot, coming from him. "You don't have to thank me. I just want to help you. You don't deserve any of the things that happened to you. It's injustice, and it's kind of in my DNA to want to fix these things. Plus, I like you. You're interesting, and nice," she smiled at him.

"I like you, too. I hope to see you again, but just in case... I wanted to thank you." Alex was really scared and his anxieties were heightened by his withdrawal. "How about that breakfast?" he asked her in a lighter tone of voice, though still a bit shaky.

Elena wondered briefly why he thought they might not see each other again. The mention of breakfast was distracting, though. She was starving. "Yes, let's have breakfast," she agreed and manoeuvred off the bed. She went ahead of him to the kitchen, where indeed, her mother had been preparing a nice, luxurious breakfast.

"My poor darling," Brennan chuckled sympathetically as her daughter moved into the kitchen, looking as unelegant as she'd ever done. Brennan wrapped her arms around Elena and kissed her cheek. "Sit down, you'll be taking a hot bath, later." Then, Brennan turned to Alex, looking at him with the facts of his ordeal going through her mind. She reached out and briefly squeezed his shoulder. "Good morning, Alex. I hope you managed to get some sleep." This young man didn't need anyone pointing out his mistakes or being distrustful of him, he needed care. He was just a child, just like Brennan's own children.

"Yes, ma'am. It was very nice of you and your husband to let me spend the night." Alex sat down, bouncing his knee underneath the table as he looked at all of the food. There was bread and toast, eggs, bacon, cheese, jam, chocolate paste, cereal... anything he could think of. There was orange juice, coffee and even tea. He reached for the milk, though. It had been ages since he'd last had milk and it was his favourite.

Elena smiled at her mother as she saw the hungry look in Alex's eyes. "Thanks, Mom. This is better than a hotel breakfast."

Brennan sat down at the table with the kids and grabbed a bowl and some yogurt and fruits. "Eat as much as you like, both of you."

"Thank you." Alex looked up at Elena's mom and gave her a smile. He took two slices of bread and put a generous helping of butter and jam on it. He started eating. This was heavenly. Once his sandwich was finished, he reached for his glass of milk. His hands were trembling so badly that he lost grip on the glass as he put it up to his lips. With horror, he watched the glass slip through his hands, bounce off of his lap, spilling milk everywhere, before it shattered on the floor.

Elena's heart clenched as she watched the horrified look on Alex's face. "It's okay," she said immediately. "It's nothing, Alex. My brother does this all the time."

Brennan felt sorry for the boy. He was doing his best to act normal and polite, but he was physically still addicted and probably suffering a lot without his pills. "Alex," Brennan said as she stood and grabbed something to clean the milk with, "Elena's right, this happens all the time. You don't have to feel bad." Since Brennan was physically the most agile person in the room at that moment, she quickly removed the spilt milk. "There. It's gone."

"I'm so sorry, Ma'am. I really didn't mean to cause any trouble," Alex told her. When he heard the door open behind him, he looked up at them pleadingly. "Don't tell him."

Elena got off her chair and quickly squeezed Alex' hand. She met her dad in the hallway, so no one in the kitchen could hear what she said. "Dad, please, you have to help Alex. He's really not feeling well. Will you please, please, please be nice to him? Please, Dad, help him. For me," Elena begged her father.

Booth frowned when his daughter stopped him in the hallway. "What happened, princess?"

"He's terrified, Dad, please," Elena begged him again. "I don't have a good feeling about this. He needs help. His hands were shaking so badly he couldn't even hold his cup."

"I don't want to harm him, Elena. I believe that Alex had nothing to do with it." Booth gently pushed his daughter's hair behind her ears as he drew her against him. "I'll take into account that he's probably experiencing withdrawal signs. I'll talk to your mom, if she thinks it's too bad, we'll take him to a hospital, okay?"

"Okay," Elena nodded against his chest. "Thanks, Dad," she sighed in relief. "He's just so scared. I hate seeing that."

"Me too, darling. I don't want him to be this scared. Come on, let's go say hi." Booth walked into the kitchen with his arm around his daughter. "Morning, Bones. Morning, Alex."

Alex nodded politely. "Good morning, Sir." Elena's mom had insisted that he had another cup of milk and so he was holding it tightly with two hands, making sure he wouldn't drop it as well.

"Bones? Can we have a word, please?"

Brennan pointed out to the teenagers there was still a lot left to eat, so they should get to it. Then, she stepped into the living room with her partner. "Hi, honey," she said and kissed his lips.

"Hey darling," Booth smiled at her and embraced her. "How are things going with Alex? Elena seemed very worried and anxious."

"I'm not allowed to give you any details, but that boy's been through unspeakable things, Booth. He can't take much more, so be as gentle as you can. He's doing his best to be polite, but it's clear that he feels miserable."

"Both of you - you and Elena know something that I don't, don't you?" Booth said slowly. "Look, I'll be gentle with him, but I'm also trying to solve a murder, Bones. Do you think he's well enough to answer a few questions?"

"I'm not really sure. I guess you could give it a go because what he needs most right now is to hear from you that he's innocent."

"Do you think it's safe? You know, medically?"

"As far as his bones go, yes. Otherwise, I couldn't tell you. Right now his hands are trembling and he's obviously anxious."

"Okay, he's experiencing signs of withdrawal, so the sooner I get him to the Hoover, the better. Come on."

Alexander was alone in the kitchen. Elena was getting his backpack from the guest bedroom. As soon as she'd left, he got up and walked over to the bin. Reaching in, he grabbed one of the pieces of the broken glass and quickly gave it a rinse. He wasn't really going to commit suicide, he told himself, because Elena and her family were trying to help him, but if he would get send to jail instead of rehab, he would use it. He wouldn't survive jail.

Elena got Alexander's backpack and went back into the kitchen. "Don't be scared, okay? You did nothing wrong," she told him again.

"I know," he nodded, feeling oddly comforted by the presence of the broken glass in the pocket of his jeans. Alex approached and hugged his friend, softly kissing her cheek. "Thank you for everything, Elena."

"You're very welcome, but you don't have to thank me. I just want you to get better." She hugged him back, and then her parents entered.

"Are you ready to go, Alex?" Brennan asked him. "Would you like to take a sandwich or some milk with you? We've got plenty."

"No, thank you, Ma'am." Alex stood and grabbed his backpack, waving at Elena as he walked over to her father. "I'm ready to go, Sir."

Booth nodded and walked over to his daughter. He gave her a hug and a kiss goodbye. "Have a hot bath, honey. I'll see you tonight." He kissed his Bones' cheek and walked back to Alex. He opened the door and together, they left.

Elena heaved a deep sigh when the door closed and the car drove away. She turned to her mother and buried herself in her familiar embrace.

Brennan wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her. "You did good, sweetheart, you did very good."

"You, too, Mom," Elena told her. "I'm going to take that bath," she said, "Thanks for breakfast, it was really delicious."

Brennan stroked her daughter's unruly curls. "You're welcome, sweetheart. Your dad promised to be nice. We have to trust him."

Booth drove the car to the Hoover. The radio was playing softly and Alex was sitting next to him. He had noticed the trembling that both of his girls hand mentioned and he decided to try and put the boy's mind at ease a little. "Did you get some sleep, son?"

"A bit," Alex replied, "The bed was really comfortable." He was feeling sick, only now he felt how sick he'd made himself with those pills. He was such a mess; how could he ever get out of this? Would he ever be able to be normal?

"Well, believe you," Booth told him and glanced at the young man next to him. "We're going to have to clear some things up, though. And I need to know what you know, so I can help. So that I can find the person, or people, who are responsible for this. Do you understand?"

Alex nodded his head. "Yes, Sir. I'll try to make it as easy as I can for you. I'm really grateful for what your family's done for me. I understand it's difficult to allow me anywhere near your daughter."

"It is." Booth didn't deny that. "But you haven't given me any reason to regret my decision to allow you into my home and to let you spend time together." Booth parked in the underground parking lot. "That means a lot to me, son. I really appreciate that. If you continue to respect her, then I don't think you being friends with my daughter is harmful for anyone. Ready to go inside?"

Alexander took a deep breath. "I hope so." They got out of the car and Elena's father checked him into the building. Alexander was impressed and intimidated by the solemn building and the bustling of agents. He felt as if his heart was about to give out, he was so nervous.

Booth guided him to one of the interrogation rooms after he had his backpack booked while he was in the interrogation room. Booth read Alexander his Miranda rights. Once he'd made sure the young man understood them, he spoke up, asking him where he was on the night of the murder.

"I was out dealing drugs for my foster dad," Alex replied, wishing this conversation was finished already. His thoughts kept going back to the glass in his pocket. It was strange how reassuring its presence was. It gave him some control, even if it was extreme.

"How long have you been dealing drugs for your foster father?"

"Ever since I moved in with him. No, wait, it was a little bit later than that. He got me started on the pills since the day I met him, and when I started asking for them, he told me to deal for him. I think it took... probably two weeks, maybe three."

Booth nodded, making notes. "At what time did you leave your house, where did you go and at what time did you return?"

Alex started to feel really hot. He felt anxious because he realised he didn't know the exact answer to these questions. "I - ehm, I guess it was... I left when it was getting dark, and I came back when it was really dark." He didn't want to have to think about that night, but he had to.

"Can you be a bit more specific, Alex?" Booth asked him. "This is important. Depending on the accuracy of your answer, we will be able to verify your alibi."

"I really don't remember the exact times. I'm sorry." Alex swallowed, feeling panic rise in his throat. He was going to jail.

"Okay, okay, that's okay," Booth tried to calm the boy down again. "Why don't you tell me what happened that night?"

"I -" Alex paused to clear his throat. He felt really hot, and he was sweating, but he was shaking with cold at the same time. "My foster dad was watching tv. I went out to deal. When I came back, he was gone, but that had happened before, so I didn't think anything of it. I just went to bed."

Booth frowned. "What I meant to ask you, was if you can tell me what happened to you after you left and before you returned. Where did you go? Who did you meet? How many drugs did you sell?"

"I didn't sell anything. I was supposed to sell the pills in the bag that you found in Elena's room, when I accidentally left them at your house." Alex wiped his forehead, trying to be discreet about it.

"What are you saying Alex? That you went out? To what? Wander the streets? If you had so many drugs on you, why not sell them?" Booth leaned forward. "I need you to help me help you, Alexander. Tell me the truth. What happened that night?"

The blood was rushing through his ears was so loud Alex could barely hear Elena's dad. "Is it possible to take a break? I really need to use the restroom."

Booth could see that the young man wasn't able to take much more. He wondered what the hell the kid was trying to hide. Could he have been responsible for the murder after all? "Sure, son, I'll take you."

Alex thought he'd faint as they walked through the hallways, but miraculously, he stayed on his feet. The glass in his pocket was burning, throbbing as if it was alive.

Booth guided him to the restrooms and opened the door. "I'll wait here."

"Thank you, Sir," Alex mumbled before he slipped inside. He could finally take a deep breath, he was finally alone. He went into one of the stalls and took the shard of glass out of his pocket. He couldn't tell Elena's dad about what happened, he just couldn't. He'd die of shame and embarrassment before he could tell it to a man he secretly looked up to.

His hands trembled violently as he lifted the glass to his throat. It could all be over soon. What future did someone like him have, anyway? An unwanted foster kid, a junkie, a drug dealer, soiled and severely traumatised because of sexual assault - he had absolutely nothing to look forward to in life.

Now, Alex felt relieved. It would soon be over. If he died, at least he'd go to the same place his parents went to, wherever that was. His trembling hand pressed the tip of the glass into his neck. He was scared, but he had to do it. His last thought before he gathered his strength and cut through his skin, was that Elena would take care of Ripley for him.

After about two minutes, Booth got worried. He had left the kid alone in there and he had no idea if Alex had any drugs on him. He could be overdosing at this very instant. Booth walked into the restroom. "Alex, I..." His words died in the back of his throat at the pool of blood on the floor. He kicked in the door of the stall and was horrified by the sight in front of him. "Somebody help!" Booth yelled as loudly as he could. He sank down to his knees and jerked his jacket off, pressing it to Alex' throat. He fumbled for his cell phone and called 911.

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Who'd seen this coming? How will this affect Elena? Please stay tuned and leave us some more of your wonderful words :).


	15. Chapter 14

Dear readers, apologies for the big delay. Getting ready for a vacation had something to do with it, though the MH17 crash was of a lot more influence. Our countries have been mourning and trying to get over the shock of so many unexpected, unjust deaths. Despite this unbelievable tragedy, we are glad to be able to give you this chapter, and for it to be a lengthy one that hopefully you'll find satisfying (we didn't mean to leave you with a cliffhanger for so long). Here it is:

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**Chapter 14**

As soon as Elena spotted her father at the end of the hallway, she ran towards him, momentarily forgetting about her painful muscles. "Dad!" When she was right in front of him, she stopped and looked at him. "What happened? You promised to be nice to him!" Elena was almost in tears. She'd been completely stressed out ever since her mother had received the phone call that Alexander was in the hospital after attempting to commit suicide.

Booth gently took Elena by her shoulders and manoeuvred her into a quiet corner of the waiting room. "Sit down, princess."

Elena's tears finally started to fall and wiped at them as she sat down. "He needed help," she told her father deflatedly. "He just really needed help."

"I agree, Elena. And if he gets through this, then we'll help him. He's going to have to help me help him, though, and for some reason he decided not to do that. Do you happen to have any idea why?"

"Because of what happened to him the night his foster dad was murdered?" Elena suggested, wiping at her tears again. "He feels really ashamed, he could barely tell even me."

"Sweetheart," Booth waited until she looked up at him, "He didn't tell me what happened that night."

Elena let that news sink in. "That shows just how bad it is. We should never ask about it again."

Booth shook his head. "Actually, I think you should tell me."

"I promised not to tell anyone..." Elena hesitated, "I really want to tell you, though. Is it better for Alex if you know?" She looked up at her father.

"Honey, I can't help him if I don't know what the problem is," Booth told his daughter gently.

Elena looked down at her feet and nodded. She took a deep breath. "Alex almost got raped that night. He was pulled into an alley and a man hurt him."

Booth closed his eyes as he heaved a deep sigh, instantly feeling guilty that he had pushed the young man to tell him what had happened that night. It just hadn't made sense. Why would someone go out with drugs, with the intention to sell them, but return with a near-full bag? Now Booth knew. Because he got interrupted, worse, attacked in one of the most painful and humiliating ways. "Go on," he encouraged his daughter.

"Alex thought it was someone who wanted drugs, but that creep started touching him. He took off Alex' clothes and tried to rape him, but Alex managed to get away," Elena told her dad quietly.

"Did he say if he reported it? If he went to a hospital? Anything like that?" Because if Alex had, it was evidence to support the young man's innocence and Alex could use that right about now.

"Of course not. If he can hardly tell me, as his friend, do you think he would have told anyone else? I think boys feel even more ashamed about sexual assault. No, he didn't tell anyone. I'm supposed to be the only one who knows."

"Okay. Thank you for telling me. That is important information. Sweetheart, it really concerns me that you've been keeping so many secrets lately. Why didn't you tell me? Or even Mom?"

"I did tell Mom, you told me to," Elena said, looking at her father.

Booth glanced over at his partner, for a moment wondering what the hell she had been thinking not telling him. That was a conversation that would have to wait, though. "It's good that you told Mom. I would like you to not keep secrets anymore, Elena. Is that clear?"

But Booth's well-meant words were not received that way by his teenage daughter. "Dad, don't tell me what to do and what not to do. You raised me well, I can make responsible decisions. Besides, I'm fifteen. I'm almost turning senior," Elena was referring to her gymnastics age category, which was a big deal.

"You're a fifteen-year-old girl who got mixed up in drugs and a suicide attempt in one week," Booth replied sternly, then lifted her chin, so she would look at him. "I know you can make decisions, but sweetheart, I do not want you to keep secrets like this from either me or Mom. We are your parents and you can tell us anything. You know that, right?"

Elena frowned angrily at her father. "How many times do I have to tell you that I simply forgot about the pills and that I had no clue they were drugs and I was never going to take even one of them?"

Brennan, who'd walked over to them, interrupted before the two egos would clash. She placed her hands on Booth's and Elena's shoulders. "Booth, let's forget about the pills, Elena meant no harm and nothing happened. Elena, all your dad wants to hear is that you won't keep things that hurt you to yourself."

Both Booth and Elena listened to Brennan, taking in her clarifying words as they'd done so many times before. "Right," Elena said, "Well, I'm sorry, but I've never been in this situation before. I won't keep big secrets anymore." She looked at her dad.

"And I'm sorry for bringing up that incident again. I believe you, princess," Booth gently embraced her. "I believe you and I trust you."

"Finally," Elena mumbled, then hugged her father back. "Is Alex awake yet? Can I see him?"

Booth looked up at his partner. When she nodded, Booth kissed the top of Elena's head. "I'm not sure that he's awake yet, but if you're allowed to see him, I don't see why not."

"Am I allowed? Who do I ask if I am?" Elena wanted to know.

Booth pointed to the nurses' station. "I'm sure they can help you. If they give you a hard time, tell them you're his girlfriend and he doesn't have any family."

Elena huffed. "Dad, you're gross." With that subtle comment, she stood and walked over to the nurses' station, asking to see her friend. A nurse went into Alex' room with her and Elena approached his bed. She studied the clean bandage around his throat. It didn't look as scary as she'd expected. Elena asked the nurse if she could hold Alex' hand, and when the nurse said she could, Elena sat down on a chair next to the bed and placed her hand over her friend's.

As soon as their daughter was out of earshot, Booth turned to his partner. "What in the world were you thinking, Bones? You knew that Alex has been sexually assaulted? And you didn't tell me? Why for god's sake?"

Brennan reacted rationally. "I couldn't. It was a secret and the boy should be able to decide who knows about it and who doesn't. It's very private information, Booth. Elena told me because it was too hard on her, it wasn't up to me to tell someone else. Even you."

"Bones, damn it. That was critical information! If I had known, I would've conducted my interrogation in a completely different manner. I wouldn't have pushed so hard." Taking a deep breath, Booth leaned in and whispered, "I'm starting to think there aren't any rules left that I have yet to break. As soon as they start an investigation on this, I can kiss my career goodbye, you realise that, right?"

Brennan frowned. "Explain the situation to me, darling, and I'll help think of something. What did you do so wrong it might cost you your career?"

"One, I flushed the drugs down the toilet, which turned out to be evidence. Two, I harboured a suspect in a murder case. Three, my daughter is friends with the current prime suspect. And last but not least, the prime suspect tried to commit suicide with a shard of glass that came from my house." He glanced around almost nervously. "My career is over, Bones."

Brennan thought about it. "What if you tell your boss you want to be taken off the case because of Alex' suicide attempt? That you feel responsible and are now too psychologically involved? Then you wouldn't have to tell about the other things, would you?"

"They are going to find out. Especially about the drugs." Booth sighed. "I don't know what to do, but you're right. I am too close. We both are." He reached for her hand and took it in his. "You were right, you know?"

"About what?" Brennan asked him as she squeezed his hand, wrapping hers around it.

"About us working together. It's brought nothing but trouble."

"Well, I don't agree completely. I think it's brought us closer together, I mean, now that I've worked with you, I can understand what you go through on a daily basis. I get how much you need us as your family, and I'd like to do more fun things with each other so you can forget about work for a while. I admire what you do, Booth, even more now than before this case." She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "At least now I know what I have to do. It's crossed my mind for today. I thought I could help Alex more by staying in charge of the case, but I know now that that was a big mistake. I'm going to have to call Hacker."

Brennan nodded. "I really think it's for the best."

Booth got up. "Will you go check on our daughter? I'm really worried about her. And about Alex too."

"You're going to call your boss right now?" Brennan stood, sensing that this situation was so hard on her partner that it was really the best thing to take some distance, lower the pressure.

"Yeah. I'm going to do some damage control. If I can."

Brennan leaned down and pressed her lips to Booth's. "You're a good man, Booth. I love you."

He cupped the back of her head and gently pecked her lips a few times before he released her. "I love you, too."

Brennan gave him a smile and then gently knocked on Alex' door.

Alex looked up at Elena. He felt impossibly weak and vulnerable, but he nodded to his friend. He didn't know if he could speak and he hadn't tried yet, but Elena's presence made him feel stronger. Whoever it was could come inside.

Elena gave him a reassuring smile and went to open the door. "Hey, Mom," she said quietly.

"Hi, sweetheart, can I come in?"

Elena nodded and stepped aside to let her mother in. "Alex, it's just my mom," Elena told him.

He nodded and looked up at Elena's mother hesitantly. "I'm sorry." When he realised he could speak normally and without a lot of pain, tears started to fall. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. I didn't mean to cause any more trouble."

"Alexander, please don't worry about causing trouble. People have been causing you a lot of trouble, and you deserve to get some help for once. Booth's taking himself off your foster dad's case so he can help you. Nobody's angry, but we all feel that you need help urgently and we want you to have access to it," Brennan explained.

"Is he very angry with me?" Alex swallowed and winced in pain.

"Booth?" Brennan asked. "No, he's not, but you scared him. Luckily, he found you in time. Alex, you don't have to worry anymore. We're going to help you."

Hesitantly, he nodded. Alex looked up as the older man entered and averted his eyes.

Booth walked into the room after having had a hard conversation with Hacker. He sat down next to his daughter and looked at the young man. "How are you feeling, son?"

"Reasonably well, considering the circumstances, Sir." Alex glanced up at Elena and when he saw that her hand was resting on top of his own, he almost wanted to pull it under the covers, afraid Elena's parents would see and start worrying about his relationship with their daughter.

It wasn't an action Booth missed, but he didn't comment on it. Elena just wanted to do whatever her friend needed. Someone needed to be nice to him for once.

"Did everything go as planned?" Brennan asked her partner, distracting him from his daughter.

"Actually, better. I talked to my boss and he agreed that I should no longer be overseeing this case as the Senior Agent. I have 24 hours and then another Agent will take the case from me." He turned to Alexander. "That means I have one more day to try and help you. I really do believe in your innocence, but sadly that is not enough. I need evidence to convince the DA."

Elena squeezed Alexander's hand. "Can I tell him, Alex?"

Alex nodded gratefully, happy that he wouldn't have to tell his story again.

Elena felt proud that her friend would trust her like this. She cleared her throat. "Dad, Alex was sexually assaulted while he was dealing drugs the night his foster dad was murdered. It's very difficult for him to talk about."

Booth nodded. "Thank you, princess. Alex, did you report it?" The young man shook his head. "Did you go to the hospital?" Another shake from his head. "Do you have any idea who could have done this to your foster father?" Booth saw the boy clearly hesitate. Bingo. Booth stood rather abruptly. "I'm going to get a pudding from the cafeteria. Elena, one for you too? Heck, I'll bring pudding for everyone. Bones," he tugged her up by her hand. "You can help me carry them." Booth looked over his shoulder to both teenagers. "We'll be right back. Talk quietly amongst yourselves."

Elena made a face. What had got into her dad? He was acting really strangely. When her parents had left, Elena turned back to her friend. "Do you feel a little bit better now?"

He shook his head. "No. Your dad... he knows that I know. That's why he left. He knows I'll talk to you but not to him. Not directly."

"Ooooh," Elena sang upon the revelation. "Okay, so... Wait - you know who killed your foster dad?"

"No. It's not that I have a name, but I think I know who could've done it. Some members of a rivalling drug gang. They are really dangerous. Jason used to work with them, but he got out and got a new supplier... After that, he forced me to learn how to shoot a gun. I had to sleep with a gun and a knife under my bed. Some nights he would..." Alex gripped her hand tighter. "He would pretend to be one of those men. To see if I would be able to survive."

"He attacked you while you slept?" Elena asked him disbelievingly. "That's horrible. Do you think those men, the old suppliers, killed him?"

"Yes, I do. Now I'm dead for sure."

"Are you afraid they'll come for you, now?" Elena wanted to know, feeling ill-at-ease at the thought that men as dangerous as that might be after her friend.

He nodded. "Why wouldn't they? I'm not a witness, sure, but I can pick them out of a line-up."

"You can? Alex, that does make you a witness, I think. If you can pick them out, my dad can investigate them, and he could find evidence. If it goes like that, you'll have basically solved the case. Alex, you have to tell my dad! I mean, I could tell him, but we have to let him know." Elena felt excited at the prospect of closing the case so Alex could continue with his life.

"I'm scared," Alex admitted quietly. "I couldn't even..." Clumsily he pointed at his throat, "What makes you think I can solve the case?"

"You have more information than anyone. You lived in that house, you know who your foster dad hung out with. Nobody else knows that, except the other dealers."

"Do you think your dad will still let us be friends? If I'm in that much danger?"

"My dad doesn't 'let' me be friends with anyone. Whether he knows how this works or not, I pick my own people and he can think it's okay or not. If it's not, I'll listen to his reasons why not, but I make my own decisions in the end. So, I'm going to be your friend no matter what my dad says," Elena let Alex know that she did exactly what she thought was right.

"I don't want you to get into any more trouble, but I'd like you to be my friend. Do you think I should tell your dad?"

"Yes, you should definitely tell him. Underneath all his toughness, he's a really wonderful person, and a little crazy sometimes, but always caring. He cares about everybody, basically. And he always solves the case," Elena said proudly.

"Okay. I'll tell him. Will you stay with me?"

"Yes, of course. I'll give him my pudding to bribe him," Elena proposed. "He'll do pretty much anything for hospital pudding. It's one of his weird things."

Despite the horrible situation he was in, Alex smiled. "You're awesome."

Elena grinned. "I know." At that moment, the door opened.

"Are you done?" Brennan inquired, to which Elena nodded. Booth and Brennan walked in, their arms full of pudding.

"Chocolate or vanilla, princess?"

"They didn't have strawberry?" Elena made a face. "You take mine, Dad. I'm good." She gave Alex a look that showed she knew what she was doing.

"Alex, would you like one?"

Alex shook his head. "No, thank you, Sir. It, uhm, it hurts to swallow."

Booth nodded understandingly and opened a chocolate pudding, grabbing a spoonful of the gooey, delicious dessert and scooped it into his mouth. Before he took his next bite, he looked up. "So, what did you guys talk about?"

Brennan couldn't help but chuckle. When Booth gave her a questioning look, she said, "Very subtle, Booth."

Elena chuckled as well. "Alex, can I tell him?" she asked her friend again.

"Yes, you can tell him."

"Alex' foster dad changed drug suppliers before his murder. The old suppliers weren't happy. Jason felt very threatened because he forced Alex to sleep with a gun and a knife next to him. Alex doesn't know their names, but he knows the old suppliers' faces," Elena gave her parents the information.

"Is that what happened, son?" Booth asked him urgently.

Alex nodded. "I think they are the ones who killed my foster dad. He wasn't a good man, but he didn't deserve to die."

Elena looked at her dad. "If the FBI has information on drug gangs, you might be able to organise a line-up for Alex. He'll be able to tell you who supplied for his foster dad."

"I know that, princess. And we will," he added when he saw the scowl on her face. "Right now though, I'm more concerned with Alex's safety. I think it's best that you and Mom go home now. I'll stay here with Alex."

"I promised to stay with him," Elena told her dad matter-of-factly. If he was a wise man, he wouldn't try to make her do otherwise.

"Thomas is going to be getting home soon. And visiting hours are almost over. Plus, Alex needs to rest now. You can come back tomorrow," Booth countered.

"Dad, you can't make me leave. I don't mean to be difficult, but I need to stay with Alex for now. I'm his only friend who's allowed into the hospital. The other friend is called Ripley and he's a dog."

Booth stood. "We're going outside for a talk. Come on."

Elena heaved a sigh but stepped outside with her father. "Dad, we've been having too many private talks. I know you'd rather not have me be friends with Alex, but I am. That's not going to change."

"This is not about whether or not you should be friends with Alex. This is about safety. Your safety, Mom's safety, Thomas' safety, Alex' and my own." Booth placed his hands on his daughter's strong shoulders and looked into her eyes.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Dad, please. Nothing's going to happen, we're in a hospital. And I promised I would stay with him; I already broke my other promises to him - please don't make me break this one, too."

Booth knew he was dealing with a teenager, and he couldn't keep saying 'no' to her if her heart was in the right place. He could think of a solution to make sure his little girl would be safe while being there for her friend. She'd just worry about him at home, anyway. "I can see that you're determined to stay the night. I think I might be able to get that cleared with the staff. You're not staying here on your own, though. I was going to call one of my colleagues to stand guard, but if you're determined to stay, so will I."

Elena's stern face broke into a smile and she nodded. "Okay, Dad. Thanks for finally letting me keep a promise to Alex." She gave her dad a hug.

"No more secrets though, princess. I can't stress that enough, okay?"

"No more big secrets," Elena adapted their deal.

"No more big secrets," Booth agreed. He released his daughter and stepped back. "You should tell your mom what you need from home."

Elena nodded and went back inside the hospital room. She'd been expecting a harder conversation with her dad, but she was glad he went easy on her.

Elena had been willing to spend the night in the chair, but she was given a bed. Her dad was used to an irregular sleeping pattern, so he was going to stay up and work from the hospital hallway. Now, they were tucked in and Elena was comforted by the sound of her friend's breathing. She was well-aware she might as well have been standing over his deathbed right now. "Alex?" Elena whispered into the darkness. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," he whispered back. "I'm tired, but I can't fall asleep. Why are you still up?"

"Can't sleep, either," Elena whispered back. "Alex, do you think you'd try to, you know, end your life again?"

"I don't know..." His eyes teared up. Luckily, in the darkness, Elena couldn't see it. He'd been so damn weak lately. "Maybe. If things don't change... then yes. I really don't want to do this anymore."

Though she didn't want him to die, Elena understood his point. "If I asked you to, would you call me instead of doing something like that?"

Alex rolled onto his side. "I think so, yes."

Elena smiled, relieved. "Good. Because I'd talk you out of it. And if I couldn't, I'd come to visit you. Oh and Alex, I can take care of Ripley for you."

"You're a really good friend," Alex smiled into the darkness. "I'm going to have to go to a rehabilitation centre and get clean."

"Yes, that's the most important thing right now. So you can have a future."

"I'll miss you. You're my only friend. If I didn't have you, I think I might have tried again by now."

"You have to fight for yourself, Alex. I'm your friend, but you can be your own friend, too. You have to do something that makes you feel proud of yourself. For me, it's gymnastics. For you, it could be getting clean."

He nodded. "Will you help me? It'll be very hard. I'd like to write letters or something."

"That's a great idea. I'll send you pictures of Ripley, too."

"That would be nice," Alex agreed. "I'm sorry you had to come here. I know you should've been resting today."

"There are things more important than resting sore muscles, Alex," Elena chuckled. "I'll admit this is the worst case I've had, but I always manage. Besides, I wanted to come. I care about you and I want you to be okay. You're my only real friend outside the gym."

Surprised, he looked over to where he knew she was, even though he couldn't really see her. "Surely you have different friends - better friends - than just me."

"Well, I have the girls from my team, they're like my sisters and we share everything. I spend a lot of time with them because we train a lot, so I've never really been that interested in other friends. But you're different from them, we can talk about other things. You're interesting."

"You're interesting too, Elena Booth," Alex smiled at her and scooted closer to the side of his bed, sticking out his hand. Elena saw it and Alex felt her fingers close around his in a tight grip. "Goodnight," Alex said.

Elena gave his hand a squeeze. "Goodnight, Alex," she whispered, then they let go of each other and tried to get some sleep.

Booth had just been about to go into the hospital room to gently remind the kids that everybody on this corridor was already asleep, when it suddenly quieted down in the room. Due to Alex' suicide attempt, the investigation had been put into a higher gear. Booth had ordered his colleagues to get him the mug shots of all drug gangs in DC. At 11PM, he finally received them. Quietly, Booth snuck into the hospital room. He turned on one of the lights near Alex and gently woke the young man. "Alex?"

Alex slowly woke up. It was dark and he couldn't see who was next to his bed. Immediately, he was awake. "Yes?"

"Can you take a look at these? See if you can recognise anyone?" Booth held up the improvised book with mug shots.

Alex blinked against the night light. He sat upright and took the book in his hands. He studied each picture, then effortlessly pointed out the individuals he'd seen while he lived with his foster dad.

Booth sat by his side as Alex pointed out four men in particular. After Alex looked through the entire book, Booth spoke up. "I talked to the hospital staff, they have arranged it so that you can start a detox program here. After that, you will be moved to a rehab centre, free of charge. The DA decided to do that for you, since you showed a willingness to help. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, though. If you leave the program early it's jail time."

"Because I was forced to deal drugs?" Somewhere, it felt wrong to be punished for being forced to do something. On the other hand, girls who were forced into prostitution could also get arrested. The justice system definitely didn't work perfectly, and sometimes, it was plain wrong.

"That's what the DA said, Alex. But look, if you just stick to the program, you won't have to worry about jail. You can do it."

"It's the only chance I have," Alex said. "I'll give it all that I have."

"That's the most important part. Motivation and perseverance. Then you'll get there," Booth told him. "Would you be surprised if I told you that I used to be addicted to gambling?"

Alex looked up at the other man. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. I am. I struggled with it for quite a while. My Pops helped me through therapy and even now, when things get extremely hard, it's still in the back of my mind. But I've learned to control it. You're young, Alex. Your life isn't over. And ending it yourself is not a good solution, either. You can turn your life around. I did. Why wouldn't you be able to do the same?"

Alex shrugged. "I'm not used to succeeding at things. I don't think I ever have."

"You'll learn how to do it. All you have to do is listen and do what the experts tell you. They know what they are talking about. And I know that you can always call her," Booth gestured towards his daughter, and added jokingly, "Just not in the middle of the night, okay?"

"I only have Elena's best interest at heart. I never meant to get her involved in my problems," Alex felt he could finally assure Elena's dad. "She's a really good friend. We'll be writing each other when I go to rehab, if that's okay with you."

Booth nodded. He sighed and sat back. "I uhm, I think I owe you an apology. Not as an FBI Agent, but as Elena's dad... I owe you an apology."

"No, you don't. You seem like a really good father to Elena. There's nothing wrong with being protective and caring. I missed that almost my entire life, and I've never felt truly safe or truly at home. You're giving her a lot. She has security." Suddenly, Alex wasn't as scared of Elena's dad anymore. Turned out he was just human, too.

"You're her friend now. Have been for a while I suppose. I just want you to know that I'm glad you two get along as well as you do." Booth stood. "You should get some more sleep. I'm going to let my colleagues know we have an ID. Good night, son."

"Good night, Sir," Alex said, "Thank you." After his talk with Elena's dad, Alex felt reassured. Finally, he could really sleep.

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The best thing about writing stories is that you control how it ends, and so this one has ended well for Alex. There will be one more chapter this week, and then we'll have a vacation hiatus, since we're going places without a proper internet connection. We promise not to end with a cliffhanger, though! We'd love to hear from you all again :). Stay safe, everyone!


	16. Chapter 15

This won't be the last chapter for this story, but it will be for now, because we're going on vacation! Trust us, we'll be leaving you with happy feelings after this chapter :). Please enjoy.

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**Chapter 15**

It was around 8AM the next morning when Booth got the call. The suspects had been arrested and he was required to go to the Hoover to do the interrogation. Booth peeked inside the hospital room and when he saw that Elena was awake, he walked over to her bed. "Morning, princess."

Elena stretched her sore muscles. "Hey, Dad. Did you work all night?" She gave him a kiss and leaned against him, her body still warm and soft from sleeping.

"Yes. I finally got some good news, though. My team's arrested the men that Alex pointed out last night." At her confused look, Booth smiled. "I came back in as soon as I had the mug shots, so Alex could look at them."

"I didn't notice a thing," Elena said, "Then again, this bed is more comfortable than I expected it to be, and my muscles needed the rest. But - you made arrests? Do you know who killed Alex' foster dad?"

"Not yet. I have to go back to my office and figure that out. I will though. Oh and I have other news. He can stay here to start a detox program. The DA has agreed to move him to a rehab centre afterwards. If he completes it, he won't be going to jail."

Elena frowned. "Alex shouldn't be going to jail anyway. But he'll make it. He can do rehab." Elena smiled at her father. "Nice work, Dad."

Booth smiled at his daughter and leaned down, pulling her into a bear hug. "You too, little monster."

"Dad, you called me that when I was five. It's been ten years," Elena chuckled.

"So?" he kissed her cheek. "You'll always be my little monster."

"Yeah, that's true," Elena relented as she hugged her dad tightly. "Everything will be okay eventually, won't it?" she asked him, now feeling a bit guilty about the way she'd been acting towards her father.

"Yes, princess. It will." He kissed her cheek again. "It really will, Elena."

Elena smiled at her father. "You always fix everything, Dad. Makes me feel really safe and happy." She pressed a big, grateful kiss to his cheek.

"You should get some more sleep," Booth told her softly, feeling proud and hopeful. "Mom will be here soon."

Elena nodded and let her dad go. She glanced over at her friend. He seemed to be still fast asleep. Elena gave her dad another smile and turned onto her side, snuggling up in the covers.

Luckily, Alex made a full recovery, regaining strength pretty fast in the hospital. His scar was fading more day by day, and Elena visited him as often as she could. Today, she and her father drove Alex to the rehab centre where he would hopefully learn how to live without drugs and gain self-respect.

It had been a long drive. When they finally arrived at the rehab centre, Elena walked into Alexander's room after him. She was more than a little curious as to where he would spend the time to come. "Oh, this isn't half bad!" she exclaimed when she took in the room at a glance. Elena put his duffel bag on the bed. They'd bought her friend a couple of gifts, mainly to decorate his room with. "I think we'll be able to make this room fun," Elena remarked. "Are you ready to open your gifts, Alex?" she smiled at him.

"You really didn't need to buy me gifts," he told her. "I'm just glad that you'll be caring for Ripley and that your father agreed to bring us here and to let us spend some time together before you have to go home again." Alex sat down on the bed. "But yes, I'd like to see."

Elena gave his arm a squeeze before reaching into the duffel bag. "Number one, the most important." She handed the gift to him. She knew he'd find a journal, a pen, envelopes and post stamps in it, so he'd be able to write her letters.

Alex opened his present and as soon as the contents were in his lap, he smiled. "That's wonderful! Now I can write to you." He wasn't allowed to have a cell phone or use the internet, so they would have to communicate via letters.

"I have a journal, too, so I can write you back. Here, open this one, I hope you'll like it." She now gave him the duvet and pillow case. There were trees on it, a dense forest. It was calming to Elena, and she hoped it would have the same effect on Alex, since they weren't allowed to paint the walls.

Alex looked at it. It was a beautiful duvet cover and pillow case. "Thank you. This will definitely help me." He smiled at her. "I like it a lot."

"Really? Great!" Elena reached into the duffel bag and got out the mug she'd decided to donate to him from her own collection. It was a gymnastics mug, saying 'Go Hard or Go Home'. "Here's some motivation," she grinned.

Alex grinned as well and accepted it. "Thanks, it will be nice to have some personal stuff around to help remind me of my best friend."

Elena smiled, almost getting shy, now. "I had fun getting you these things," she said. "Oh, I think this is actually the most important one." She handed him the picture frame with several photos of Ripley in it. It was gift-wrapped.

Opening the last gift, Alex went quiet when he saw a picture of Ripley. "I think I'm going to miss him most of all. Will you take good care of him for me? He needs to have a daily walk and he needs to be played with as well."

"Don't worry about it. Ripley won't have reason to complain. I'll send you pictures of him with a recent newspaper to prove to you he's all right," Elena laughed.

Alex snickered and leaned in to hug her. "Thanks."

"Look, I feel really bad leaving you here on your own. Can we give all these things a place just to make it look more homey and less like a prison cell?" she asked him.

"I would like that very much. Want to help me make the bed?"

"Yes, but, what about this? We put the desk in front of that window so you can look outside while you write or work on something, since you get to finish school here. And then if we turn the bed ninety degrees, it can go in front of the other window and you can lounge on it, too." It would definitely brighten things up.

Critically, Alex looked at the room. He soon realised she was right. "Do you think we're allowed to move the furniture?"

Elena shrugged. "It's your room, isn't it? Why not? If they don't allow it, they can put everything back themselves."

Together they started and moved the furniture. "You were right, this is much, much better." They made the bed together and then they gave the framed pictures a place on his desk, along with the other gifts. "Do you think you'll be able to visit me some time?"

"If I'm allowed to, I will. Definitely. I'd miss training to come visit you." Elena squinted and pointed at Alex. "My dad would tell you that's the ultimate sacrifice I can bring."

"I know," he smiled as he playfully grabbed her finger. "So, what are you going to do this summer?"

"Besides gymnastics, you mean?" Elena pulled her finger free. "Well, we usually go on a three-week holiday with our family. My dad actually received a promotion because of your case, since they caught the drug dealers or suppliers or whatever, so we get one week extra with him this year. Thanks to you, really."

"He got promoted? I thought he was scared he was going to lose his job." Alex was happy, though. Elena's parents had been the only ones interested in finding out the truth. They cared about him as a human being and that was a rare find. Especially since it had seemed like an open and shut case.

"He was, but this case ended up having a much bigger impact than anyone originally thought. Your neighbourhood's actually become a bit safer now."

"That's good. Maybe some of those kids will actually have a chance now," Alex stated softly. He grasped her hand in his. "When do you have to leave?"

"Before bedtime, I guess. I don't know. Dad's waiting downstairs. We can take the tour of the building and facilities together, I'm sure Dad would like to see where you'll be staying as well."

"I'd like to stay here for a little while longer. What's your favourite star?"

"Star? What do you mean? A celebrity, a light in the sky..."

"A star, you know, when it gets dark at night and there are no clouds and there is no moon... which is your favourite constellation?"

"I guess I never thought about it. What's your favourite, then?" She wrapped her fingers around his hand and held onto it. His palm was warm and dry.

"Orion," he answered without a doubt. "That's my favourite constellation."

"Why?" Elena wanted to know.

"Because it shines brightest in the winter from November to February when everything here on earth is at its darkest and most depressing state. It's a hunter, standing guard."

"It sounds beautiful," Elena said, "I'll look it up and then see if I can recognise it at night. We'll be looking at the same stars and then you won't be so alone."

"I'd like that, yes." A soft smile appeared on Alex' face. Despite everything, he was relaxed. "Well, I think it's time to face the music, wouldn't you agree?"

"I hate leaving you here, but I'll think about you. Your room looks nice, at least. We could stay for the tour if you'd like. I hear they have a swimming pool here. That's nice."

He chuckled, "I can't swim, Elena." At the bewildered look on her face, he chuckled. "Maybe I'll learn how to swim while I'm here."

She bumped her fist into his arm. "Make it a goal."

"I will." He stood and held out his hand to her. "Come on, let's go find your dad."

Elena put her hand in Alexander's and they walked out of his room together. When they walked into the room where her father was waiting for her, Elena thought it better to be safe than sorry and let go of Alex' hand. "We made sure Alex' room looks nice," Elena told her dad.

"That's good." He could tell from the smile on both of their faces that it had been a success. "I talked to the staff, we can all have a tour of the facilities and if we want to, we can stay here for dinner, then we have to go."

Elena looked at Alex. "Will you let us stay for a little while longer?"

"Yeah," Alex nodded. "It would be nice to have dinner together."

The coordinator of the centre walked over to them and introduced herself. "Ready for your tour?"

Elena had never been in a rehabilitation centre before and she was curious, studying everything they came across during the tour. She wondered how nobody got lost here in this maze. Contrary to the people who lived here, the halls and common rooms looked cheerful. There was even a small library with wonderful reading corners. "I'd spend all my time here," Elena sighed as they all admired the library.

"I don't doubt it, princess," Booth whispered as he kissed her temple, his arm wrapped loosely around her waist.

Alex nodded. "This seems like a very welcoming, peaceful place." He looked up at Elena's father. "I'll do everything that I can, Sir, in order to get better."

Booth held out his hand and as Alex shook it, he replied. "And you will, son."

Their tour guide announced it was time for dinner and they went to the cafeteria. There were a lot of people there. Some people chose to eat in their room, some preferred the company. Elena thought it was nice that everyone got a choice. That way, Alex could feel as comfortable as possible. They all took plates and stood in line to get their dinner. Elena felt grateful to her father for letting them stay as long as they could.

"Why don't we eat outside?" Booth suggested as they all had their plates. The two kids - well, teenagers - agreed and they went outside. Enjoying the warmth of the sun, they had dinner. Booth gently steered the conversation away from heavy topics to safe things, such as favourite movies, favourite day of the year, and he genuinely made an effort to get to know Alex as one of his daughter's friends. Instead of a junkie and a former prime suspect in a murder case.

Elena kept sending her father grateful smiles. Now, she could feel less guilty about leaving Alex alone here. Her dad showed that he genuinely cared, which also meant she'd be able to keep all her promises.

Alex slowly relaxed and once they were done eating, he was okay with the fact that they would be leaving soon. "Will you go with me to get a library book? I'd like to go up to my room after that."

Elena agreed and Booth told them he would meet them at Alex' room, offering to clean up their plates. Alex accepted and the teenagers stood and returned to the library.

"Anything you'd recommend?" Alex asked Elena once they stood in front of the books together.

Elena chuckled knowingly. "Yes. Moby Dick. But you've already read that one."

"How about something more along the lines of this..." Alex reached for a few comic books.

Elena made a face. "I don't like those. Then again, I won't be the one reading them. If you like them, you should take them," she encouraged him.

Armed with a stack of comic books to beat the boredom, they returned to his room, where her dad was waiting for them. They walked inside and Alex gave his friend a quick hug. "Thank you. I'll write you soon."

Elena squeezed him when they hugged. "Write me," she told him, "And make me proud, or better, make yourself proud. I'll be looking at the stars for you."

"I'll be looking at the stars with you," Alex promised her. He kissed her cheek and then let her go. He walked her out of his room and into the capable hands of her father. "I'll let you know something soon," he promised again. "Bye, Elena. By, Mr Booth."

Booth nodded and tenderly he wrapped an arm around Elena's shoulders as she said goodbye.

Elena leaned into her dad when they left. She felt sad for leaving Alex by himself. She got into the car and heaved a big sigh. "I hated Alex' guts when I first met him at school," she remembered, "I thought he was a bully."

"You should never judge a book by its cover," Booth agreed. "Are you okay, princess?"

"I'm always okay, Dad. But not every kid my age is. I have all of you, we live in a wonderful house, I get to do what I love every day and I feel I have unlimited opportunities." Elena paused, thinking she shouldn't feel sad about being so lucky in life. She should be grateful and help others where she could. "Alex isn't okay, but I hope he will be."

"You can be sad, though, Elena. It's not easy to leave someone behind, even if it's for their own good. You're right. He will get better. He's strong. And he's not alone."

Elena looked at her father as he drove them further away from Alex. "Can we have hot chocolate when we get home?"

That was a clear sign that she was not as okay as she wanted him to believe. "Of course. We can have hot chocolate and if you want to, I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind if you want to sleep in our bed tonight."

Elena smiled. "I'm almost sixteen. I should get over sleeping in my parents' bed. Maybe Tommy wants to do a sleepover tonight."

"Elena. You're my daughter. You might be 35 one day and if you need to lay down with me and Mom, to feel safe and loved, we will let you. You will be my daughter, forever. It doesn't stop at your sixteenth or eighteenth birthday, little monster."

"So I'll never be able to get rid of you guys?" Elena chuckled. "I'm happy about that."

"Never," he promised her. "I know that you and I haven't been seeing eye to eye lately, but I'm your dad and I love you. I trust you."

"I know that. I love you, too. I'm just - sometimes I feel guilty for being so lucky and so happy. If I could give my hot chocolate to Alex, I would, you know."

"I know," Booth glanced over at her after he changed lanes. "I have some advice for you, darling. It was my Pops that gave it to me, actually."

"What was it?" Elena asked curiously.

"You have to take care of yourself, before you can take care of anyone else."

Elena sat back in the seat. "Grandpa Pops is right. He makes a lot of sense," she agreed.

"I know you want to be there for your friend, Elena, and I won't stop you, but now, you should focus on school and gymnastics. You can write him and when we can, we will visit him, but you can't put all of your energy into him, okay? And that goes for all of your friends."

"Dad, I always focus on school and gymnastics. Speaking of which, I'm in the team for regionals. I really want to make nationals this year, so I'll be working extra hard. You'll all come watch my competition, right? And Jared and the grandpas? Uncle Russ if he has time. Aunt Angela for sure, she has to do my hair like last time when I won. It's my lucky hair-do, now," Elena chuckled.

Booth smiled. "I'm sure they will all be there, princess." Booth continued to talk to his daughter about small things and bigger things and he enjoyed the father-daughter time he had with her. By the time they arrived home, it was dark. He parked the car and looked at her. "You okay, baby girl?"

"I feel relieved that everything turned out okay in the end. I know it sounds corny, but this whole thing made me realise how lucky I am to have you all as family, and to be able to do things I love. You're still the best parents ever, even if you won't get us a dog," Elena smiled.

Booth leaned over the central console and hugged his daughter. "I'll talk to Mom about it," he promised her. "Will you be okay in your own bed? Or would you rather have a camping trip in the living room with your brother? It is a Friday night after all, you could sleep in tomorrow morning."

Elena's eyes lit up. "I'd like to go camping with Tommy. He'll love it, and I need to give him more attention. I'm afraid I've been neglecting him a little."

"You're his sister, not his mother, but I do think he will enjoy it if you spent some time with him. I'll make you hot chocolate and I'm sure that Mom will let you bake pancakes."

Elena pressed a kiss to her father's cheek. "Love you, Dad. It all sounds great." They got out of the car and went inside their house.

Booth followed, promising himself he would make sure to keep an eye on her. She was, after all, her mother's daughter and both of his girls had a tendency to overwhelm themselves with work. Following her inside, Booth spent the rest of the night with his family, enjoying the love and warmth their family shared easily with one another.

Elena held her brother in her arms the entire evening. They sat together, Thomas leaning against her on the couch, measuring Elena's impressive biceps as usual, then comparing his own arms with his sister's. He was easily reconciled with the fact that his sister would be forever stronger than him. Their parents were spoiling them that evening, and the kids loved it. Their family was like a warm cocoon, and Elena vowed she'd always be there for her brother to make sure he had his cocoon for as long as she had. As for Alex, she'd help him create a cocoon, too.

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That was it for now, dear readers. We hope to meet again for the last few chapters, and to make up a little for this hiatus, we're letting you know we've decided to make this a trilogy, so after this story, expect a fresh, new fic with our familiar characters. Of course, we'll have travelled in time again, but more about that later. We appreciate your reviews enormously and they are still welcome!


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